MCA Staff Writers

For much of the month of November the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance has been highlighting thoracic oncologists, causes studies, support groups, and other events associated with Lung Cancer Awareness Month . As the month draws to an end, it is our hope that the awareness we’ve been generating and the message of those we’ve spoken will not simply be lost as we turn the month to December. It is only through a continued commitment to lung cancer treatment and research funding, in December and beyond, that we’ll finally be able to reach the long-awaited cure for this difficult disease.

When lung cancer strikes, cigarette smoking is often blamed for its development. However, notes the American Cancer Society, of the 170,000 cases or so of lung cancer diagnosed each year in the U.S., some 10 percent of those cases are among those who never smoked a single cigarette. In those individuals, other causes of the disease – like exposure to secondhand smoke, radon, or asbestos – might be part of the picture. Nevertheless, the disease remains the number one cause of cancer fatalities in the United States.

The United States Center for Disease Control noted that in 2007, the last year for which accurate figures are available, more than 158,000 people in the United States died of lung cancer. The risk of developing the disease, they note, increases with age and is greater in men than in women. Though the incidence of the disease has indeed decreased in the last decade, lung cancer still remains a major concern…especially for medical professionals such as Dr. Anne Tsao who – each day – sees the ravages of the disease firsthand.

As part of lung cancer awareness month, the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance is attempting to shed light on some lesser known facts about the disease, including its causes, potential new treatments, and challenges in attaining funding for lung cancer treatment and research. In this post we'd like to explore lung cancer causes. While cigarette smoking remains the number one cause of lung cancer, there are others risk factors many may not be aware of that have nothing to do with smoking. Knowing all the risk factors can help us as we try to finally eradicate this difficult disease. Let's explore each risk factor in detail below.

Each year in America, approximately 160,000 men and women die of lung cancer and the disease remains the leading cause of cancer deaths for both sexes. Long linked to smoking, though not exclusively, lung cancer continues to devastate families, never discriminating between young and old. It can also be an extremely difficult cancer to tackle and researchers are consistently searching for new and better ways to address the disease.

November 1st marks the beginning of Lung Cancer Awareness Month across the United States. While mesothelioma is not a lung cancer, both diseases are associated with similar risk factors, including asbestos exposure and smoking.