The origin of lung cancer involves a cell of the lung tissue transforming into a cell that does not die when it should, grows uncontrollably and harms the surrounding normal lung tissue. Lung cancer can occur by chance, but exposure to harmful chemicals greatly increases a person's risk of developing this disease. There are several harmful chemicals that science has proven to be associated with lung cancer.
Smoking Tobacco
Extensive scientific studies have been performed in the last several decades on the health effects of cigarette smoking. Most people know that smoking tobacco causes numerous types of cancer, including lung cancer. In fact, approximately 40 percent of the 438,000 people who die from smoking tobacco each year die specifically from cancer. Overall, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The mechanism of how smoking causes lung cancer is still under scientific investigation. According to the National Cancer Institute, cigarette smoke contains 4,000 chemicals, and scientific studies have shown that at least 250 of these chemicals have harmful effects on the body. These harmful chemicals include benzene, found in gasoline; arsenic, a known toxin; cadmium, an ingredient in batteries; and ethylene oxide, used to sterilize medical equipment.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a natural material that comes in the form of very tiny fibers. When these tiny fibers are inhaled, especially over a long period of time, they can cause lung cancer, according to Princeton University. Asbestos fiber is readily inhaled, as it is 700 times smaller than a human hair. Asbestos was used in building materials for many years because it is resistant to heat and many chemicals, and it insulates very well. Asbestos poses a health problem because it lodges in the lungs when it is inhaled and cannot be removed by coughing. The majority of deaths due to asbestos exposure are due to lung cancer. Asbestos is also the cause of a very rare type of lung cancer called mesothelioma, which is cancer of the thin membrane that lines the lungs. Princeton University notes that virtually all cases of mesothelioma are caused by exposure to asbestos.
Radon
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that radon is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is a known cause of lung cancer. In fact, the EPA reports that radon is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer in people who are not exposed to cigarette smoke. Radon also increases the risk of lung cancer even further for people who do smoke. Exposure to radon causes 21,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the EPA. Radon is found inside buildings as well as outdoors, at an average level of between 0.4 and 1.3 pico Curies per Liter, or piC/L. However, scientists do not yet have enough evidence to determine a safe level of radon exposure. The EPA recommends that households limit indoor radon levels between 2 and 4 piC/L. Rooms that are below ground level, such as basements, are the most susceptible to a buildup of radon gas.
