What causes lung cancer? Five factors are most likely to cause lung cancer

Nowadays, there are many more people suffering from lung cancer than before, so people have begun to pay attention to this disease. When it comes to lung cancer, many people may think that it is a terminal illness and it is not easy to cure. Lung cancer is indeed a disease that is difficult to cure, so everyone should know how to prevent it. The following is an introduction to the causes of lung cancer.

Factors that cause lung cancer

1. Smoking

According to a large number of survey data from various countries, the cause of lung cancer is closely related to smoking. The increase in the incidence of lung cancer is parallel to the increase in cigarette sales. Cigarettes contain a variety of carcinogens such as benzopyrene. Experimental animals that inhale cigarette smoke or apply tar can induce respiratory and skin cancer. The incidence of lung cancer in smokers is 10 times higher than that of non-smokers, and the incidence is even higher in those who smoke a lot, 20 times higher than that of non-smokers.

2. Air Pollution

The incidence of lung cancer is high in industrially developed countries, higher in cities than in rural areas, and higher in factory and mining areas than in residential areas. The main reason is that in industrially and traffic-developed areas, the atmosphere is polluted by harmful substances such as benzopyrene carcinogenic hydrocarbons produced by the combustion of oil, coal, and internal combustion engines and asphalt road dust. Survey materials show that areas with high concentrations of benzopyrene in the atmosphere also have a higher incidence of lung cancer. Air pollution and smoking may promote each other and play a synergistic role in the incidence of lung cancer.

3. Occupational factors

In the 1930s, there were reports of a high incidence of lung cancer in the Schneeberg mining area in Europe. After years of investigation and research, it is now recognized that long-term exposure to radioactive substances such as uranium, radium and their derivatives, carcinogenic hydrocarbons, arsenic, chromium, nickel, copper, tin, iron, coal tar, asphalt, petroleum, asbestos, mustard gas and other substances can induce lung cancer, mainly squamous cell carcinoma and undifferentiated small cell carcinoma.

4. Chronic lung diseases

For example, tuberculosis, silicosis, and pneumoconiosis can coexist with lung cancer. The incidence of cancer in these cases is higher than that of normal people. In addition, chronic inflammation of the lung bronchus and pulmonary fibrosis scar lesions may cause squamous metaplasia or hyperplasia during the healing process. On this basis, some cases may develop into cancer.

5. Human body internal factors

For example, family inheritance, reduced immune function, metabolic activity, endocrine dysfunction, etc. may also play a certain role in the incidence of lung cancer.