What is the cause of small cell lung cancer

Due to the irrational dietary structure in today's society, the radiation and pollution of various chemical elements, more and more people are suffering from small cell lung cancer. Many patients with this disease want to know what causes it. Let us learn about the causes of small cell lung cancer.

Smoking is recognized as an important risk factor for small cell lung cancer. More than three quarters of lung cancer patients are heavy smokers. The earlier the age of smoking, the longer the smoking period, and the greater the amount of smoking, the higher the mortality rate of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer in smokers gradually decreases as the number of years of quitting increases. Cigarettes contain more than 10 carcinogens, such as benzopyrene, nicotine, nitrosamines and trace amounts of arsenic, which can cause the loss of normal bronchial epithelial morphology, accompanied by atypical cytological changes.

The latest research shows that if secondhand smokers accidentally inhale secondhand smoke for 15 minutes a day, their chances of developing lung cancer are the same as those of smokers. There are more than 100 lung cancer-inducing genes in the human body, and Asian women carry several common genes, so Asian women are more likely to develop lung cancer. In addition to not smoking, they should also try to stay away from secondhand smoke.

Indoor pollution and smoking are the first causes of small cell lung cancer, but most people may not know that indoor radon gas pollution is the second largest cause of lung cancer after smoking. Epidemiological surveys and molecular biology experiments have confirmed that radon gas and its progeny are one of the main risk factors for lung cancer in humans. Lung cancer caused by radon and its progeny can account for 8% to 20% of the lung cancer population. The main reason why the human body is harmed by radon gas is that the indoor radon concentration in residences and workplaces may be high. Usually, basements, houses next to basements, air-conditioned rooms, office buildings with strong sealing, hotels and houses built with building materials containing high radioactive elements are more likely to have high indoor radon concentrations. Therefore, experts recommend that in addition to paying attention to the selection of materials during construction and decoration, opening windows for ventilation in daily life is also helpful to reduce the harm of radon gas.

Occupational factors: There are many carcinogens in the working environment of certain occupations. The carcinogens that have been confirmed so far include asbestos, inorganic arsenic, dichloromethyl ether, chromium, mustard gas, soot, tar, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in petroleum, heating products of tobacco, etc. In addition, glass fiber, artificial fiber, talcum powder, etc. are also speculated to have carcinogenic effects.

Air pollution, industrial waste gas in cities, automobile exhaust, and road asphalt all contain carcinogens. Therefore, statistics show that the incidence of lung cancer in cities is significantly higher than in rural areas.

The intake of natural vitamin A, beta-carotene and trace elements zinc and selenium in food is negatively correlated with the occurrence of cancer in the future, the most prominent of which is lung cancer. The deficiency and insufficiency of vitamins E and B are more prominent in lung cancer patients.