Even people who have never lit a cigarette can get this deadly disease. Learning about all the causes can help you protect yourself.

Doctors will diagnose about 221,000 cases of lung cancer this year, the American Cancer Society estimates. While 90 percent will involve smokers, others will not. Their causes include radon, secondhand smoke, workplace carcinogens, and air pollution.

In fact, three out of four lung cancer cases occur in people who have stopped smoking or never smoked. But a BMJ study found people with lung cancer--smokers and nonsmokers alike--are often stigmatized or even blamed for developing cancer.

Lung cancer is the top cause of U.S. cancer deaths, claiming more lives than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. Yet the federal government spends less on lung cancer research than it does for any of those cancers.

Learning about less common causes of lung cancer may help you avoid them--and become more empathetic toward those with the disease.

Radon
The decay of uranium in soil releases radon, a radioactive gas that can enter homes through cracks in floors and foundations. Radon can also come from building materials or from water from wells that contain the gas. When inhaled, radioactive particles given off by radon can damage cells that line the lungs, causing cancer.

Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) blames radon for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year.

To reduce your family's risk for radon-related lung cancer, the EPA recommends you have your home tested for radon. Take steps to control radon if the test finds a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more. For more information on radon, including how to get your home tested, visit the EPA website at www.epa.gov.

Secondhand Smoke
Nonsmokers who inhale secondhand smoke take in nicotine and toxic chemicals, more than 60 of which can cause cancer. In the U.S., exposure to secondhand smoke is responsible for about 3,400 deaths from lung cancer and 46,000 deaths from heart disease every year.

Nonsmokers can face secondhand smoke at work; in public places such as restaurants, bars, and shopping areas; in their homes; and in cars, where hazardous levels of smoke can build up quickly. Your best protection: avoiding secondhand smoke.

Asbestos
Asbestos increases the risk for lung cancer and other deadly lung diseases. Resistant to fire and heat, this group of minerals was once widely used in industry and construction. People can encounter this carcinogen at work, in their communities, and at home. However, people who develop serious illnesses most often had contact with asbestos on the job.

If you're worried about your potential exposure to asbestos, discuss your concerns with your employee health and safety representative and your employer. For information about asbestos and lung cancer, visit the website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at www.osha.gov.

Family History
People also have an increased risk for lung cancer if their parents or siblings have had the disease. The increased risk could come from sharing behaviors like smoking, living together in a house that contains radon, or inheriting a gene that makes them prone to the disease.

Lung cancer is a frightening diagnosis that no one deserves. To reduce your risk for the disease, control your risk factors. If you're a smoker or former smoker older than 55, ask your doctor if you should have a CT scan to screen for the disease.

By Barbara Floria, senior writer for Vitality.

To learn more, visit the National Cancer Institute at www.cancer.gov.

© Krames StayWell. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from Krames StayWell.