Other Than Cigarette Smoking, What Are the Top Causes of Lung Cancer?
The common opinion is that lung cancer is something that happens to smokers. Don't smoke, and don't get lung cancer.
Unfortunately, that's not the case. In December 2023, a news anchor revealed that, despite being a nonsmoker her entire life, she'd been diagnosed with lung cancer. She's not alone. Every year, between 10 and 20 percent of lung cancer diagnoses are people who never or rarely smoked.
Smoking significantly increases your risk of lung cancer, but simply avoiding cigarettes doesn't make you immune to the disease. Other factors and exposure can also increase your risks. These different factors may also mean that you have grounds for a lawsuit.
Environmental Exposure
Other common causes of lung cancer include exposure to chemicals or other environmental factors. These include:
- Radon
- Secondhand smoke
- Air pollution
- Asbestos
- Diesel exhaust
- Other chemicals
Working with chemicals in spaces that aren't adequately ventilated can increase risk. Workplaces where employees face regular exposure to chemicals or other toxins should have safety protocols to minimize the risk.
Genetics
Genetics can also make a nonsmoker more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer. Often, it's not simply genetics, but genetics plus exposure to certain chemicals.
Multiple Causes
One of the challenges with cancer is that it often has multiple causes. It may be difficult to draw a direct connection between exposure and diagnosis. Someone may contract lung cancer due to exposure to secondhand smoke and radon. Or they may have been exposed to a chemical or other events that aren't yet linked to lung cancer.
Companies may use the theory of multiple causes or the lack of a direct link to evade responsibility.
Same Symptoms
Nonsmokers tend to have the same symptoms of lung cancer as smokers. The challenge can be in getting a diagnosis because they didn't smoke.
Cancer Differences
Lung cancer can manifest differently in different people. In nonsmokers, adenocarcinoma is the most common type of diagnosed lung cancer. This type usually begins in the lung's outer areas in the bronchioles. These mucus-producing cells line the lungs' small airways.
Squamous cell carcinomas and small cell lung cancers are also common in nonsmokers. While they are more common, a nonsmoker may have any type of lung cancer, and knowing the type can affect treatment.
Slower Growth
Lung cancer also tends to grow more slowly and is less likely to metastasize in nonsmokers compared to smokers. These, however, are averages.
Just as people shouldn't assume they can't get lung cancer if they don't smoke, they shouldn't assume they have a specific type of cancer or that the cancer won't spread out of their lungs.
Navigating the Legal Process
Nonsmokers can get lung cancer. Exposure to environmental hazards, especially in the workplace, increases the likelihood of a diagnosis. If you or a loved one is a nonsmoker who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, you may have legal options. Such options can provide compensation and help with medical bills and lost wages.
The Madeksho Law team is here to help you. Initial consultations are always free, and we don't collect payment unless we win your case. Contact us today to discuss your case at 888-910-MESO (6376) or online.
