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6 Tips to Lower Your Risk of Developing Lung Cancer

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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among both men and women. It is estimated that 158,080 Americans will die of lung cancer in 2016 alone. Because of its alarming numbers, it is important that people are aware of the dangers and potential causes of lung cancer.

Can Lung Cancer Be Prevented?

The majority of lung cancer cases can be prevented by avoiding smoke or second-hand smoke, but sometimes it happens in people with no risk factors for the disease. As with any type of cancer, there is no sure-fire way of prevention but you can do things to lower your risk of developing it such as:

  1. Don’t smoke, stop smoking and avoid second-hand smoke! Being that smoke damage in the lungs is the leading cause of lung cancer, it stands to reason that if you are worried about developing it you should avoid cigarette and cigar smoke at all costs. Among the thousands of chemicals present, there are approximately 70 known carcinogens in cigarette smoke.
  2. Avoid radon exposure – Make sure you have a working radon detector in your home so you can measure the levels in your home and get it treated if the levels are too high. If not it could have deadly consequences.
  3. Try to limit pollution – Diesel fumes and other pollutants can take their toll on your lungs over time as well. If you are concerned about pollution, you can wear special (and fashionable) masks if you have to walk frequently in the city.
  4. Avoid breathing in known carcinogenic substances – The American Cancer Society cites asbestos, uranium and coal products as carcinogenic substances. There are many others as well.
  5. Early screening – if you are a smoker or have a family history of lung (or other) cancer, talk to your doctor today about early screening. Cases that are caught in the early stages have much better prognoses.
  6. Lead a healthy overall lifestyle – as with any type of disease prevention, maintaining a healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies and low in saturated and animal fats is important, as is being regularly physically active so as to keep your body in tiptop shape and help better fight off disease.

There you have some key tips for lowering your risk of developing lung cancer, keep an eye out for symptoms and comorbid syndromes associated with lung cancer in our next post. Our board-certified physicians are standing by 24/7/365 to assist you with your health. Keep an eye out for our post on Thanks for visiting DocChat!

Breast Cancer Causes and Risk Factors

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Breast Cancer Causes and Risk Factors

Breast cancer develops as a result of mutated breast cells. In approximately 10% of these cases, the mutations are acquired through genetic predispositions, while most cases of breast cancer are influenced by a combination of environmental, lifestyle or hormonal risk factors. In many of these cases the exact cause of the cell mutation will never fully be known.

Risk Factors Versus Causes

The direct causes of breast cancer are not well understood as it is a very complex disease, however we do know that common risk factors often play important roles in the development of different types of cancer. Having one or more risk factors doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop breast cancer, nor does being a carrier of certain genes, however risk factors do put you at greater risk of eventually developing the disease.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

Some of the known risk factors that may contribute to the development of breast cancer include:

  • Inheriting certain genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2
  • Having a close relative with breast cancer
  • Aging. While some women develop breast cancer at a young age, generally your risk increases as you get older.
  • Being female
  • Ethnicity. Research illustrates that African-American women are at a slightly higher risk of getting breast cancer than Caucasian women.
  • Being exposed to radiation
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Drinking alcohol regularly
  • Undergoing hormone therapy
  • Having already had breast cancer
  • Early menstruation or late menopause – It is thought that estrogen exposure has something to do with breast cancer development.
  • Never becoming pregnant or having children late in life
  • Smoking increases the risk of most types of cancer, including breast cancer as there are over 70 known carcinogens in cigarette smoke.

The Bottom Line

These are not the only risk factors, for example, research suggests that women with chronic nutritional deficiencies, exposure to toxins or who suffer chronic inflammation may be at greater risk for developing breast cancer as well. While certain risk factors such as age, ethnicity and genetics are unchangeable, others such as weight or lifestyle choices like drinking and smoking are modifiable. Therefor, it is important to make all the healthy lifestyle choices you can if you wish to put yourself in a lower risk category for breast cancer development.

That concludes our look at the risk factors that can help contribute to breast cancer, keep an eye out for future posts on the topic. Thanks for visiting DocChat!