Smoking tobacco is linked to more than 80% of all lung cancer cases but people who have never smoked or those who have been exposed to passive smoking may also develop lung cancer.
Other causes include:
Exposure to air pollution (including exhaust fumes from diesel vehicles)
Exposure at work or during hobbies to asbestos, wood dust, welding fumes, arsenic,or industrial metals (for example, beryllium and chromium).
Exposure to indoor air pollution (for example, radon or coal smoke).
There may be other causes, and more will likely be found in the future. People living with the following conditions are also at an increased risk of developing lung cancer:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Head and neck, and esophageal cancer (sharing the same risk factors like smoking)
- Lymphoma or breast cancer (treated with thoracic radiotherapy)
- Lung transplant recipients
- Genes can also play a role in some lung cancers. If there is a history of lung cancer in your family, you could be more likely to develop the condition, but this is not the same for everyone.