Lung cancer: risk factors

The main recognised risk factors for lung cancer are as follows:

• Tobacco smoking - accounting for 80-90% of cases in developed countries

• Asbestos, which interacts in a multiplicative way with smoking

• Ionising radiation, including domestic exposure to radon

• Various chemicals, usually encountered in occupational settings, including: arsenic, chloromethyl ethers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chromium products and nickel.