Although heredity and genetics do play a role in the development of different types of cancers, lung cancer appears to be most influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. While some of these factors cannot be controlled, other factors can be managed in order to increase or decrease your risk of developing lung cancer. Analyzing your risk with a doctor is the best thing you can do in terms of figuring out your own potential for developing the disease.

Smoking and Tobacco Products

The most important thing smokers can do to prevent lung cancer is to quit the use of all tobacco products. People who use chewing tobacco instead of cigarettes are not safer at all. These people may still develop mouth or throat cancer, an equally painful disease. Tobacco products have been unquestionably linked to lung cancer. About 85 to 90 percent of lung cancer cases are related to tobacco products, and over half of newly diagnosed patients have been former smokers. Of course, the risk for developing lung cancer increases the longer you smoke and the number of packs you smoke per day.

Environmental Factors

Chemicals in the environment also play a part in the development of lung cancer. People who are exposed to second-hand smoke still have a much greater chance of developing the disease than those who are not. Also, people who work in chemical environments should be wary of the products around them. Radon, for example, is a gas that is produced when uranium and radium break down. While this is found naturally in the environment in certain amounts, workers can also be exposed to it at their jobs. Workers should use caution and take frequent breaks, or should even perhaps consider switching to a safer environment. This also goes for workers who deal with asbestos, a fiber formerly used in insulation. The fiber has been under investigation for influencing the development of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

If you do work in an environment where exposure to these chemicals is necessary, seek the advice of your doctor to determine what preventative measures you can take to avoid long term damage from these chemicals, as they can play a role in your risk of the disease.