Overall, the chance that a man will develop lung cancer in his lifetime is about 1 in 15; for a woman, the risk is about 1 in 17. For smokers the risk is much higher.
Several risk factors make a person more likely to develop lung cancer:
- age (most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older; the average age of people when diagnosed is about 70)
- cigarette smoking (nearly 90 percent of lung cancers are thought to be a result of smoking)
- exposure to secondhand smoke (breathing in the smoke of others)
- smoking marijuana cigarettes
- recurring lung inflammation from conditions such as tuberculosis and some types of pneumonia
- asbestos exposure
- exposure to cancer-causing agents such as:
- radioactive ores like uranium
- arsenic
- vinyl chloride
- nickel chromates
- coal products
- mustard gas
- chloromethyl ethers
- fuels such as gasoline
- diesel exhaust
- exposure to radon, a radioactive gas produced by the natural breakdown of uranium
- personal history of lung cancer
- air pollution
While no increased risk of lung cancer has been found from the use of cosmetic talcum powder, some studies of talc miners and millers suggest a higher risk of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases from their exposure to industrial grade talc. Talcum powder is made from talc, a mineral that, in its natural form, may contain asbestos. Although, by law, all home-use talcum products (baby, body, and facial powders) have been asbestos-free.