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Smokers, meanwhile, are 25 times more at risk from radon than non-smokers.
Breathing secondhand smoke is another lung cancer risk for non-smokers. According to the American Cancer Society, about 7,000 adults die of lung cancer from breathing secondhand smoke each year.
Air pollution is also known to cause some lung cancers. At the same time, other factors seen in non-smoking patients diagnosed with the disease include a family history and having previously been diagnosed with HIV or AIDs.
Lung Cancer Symptoms
Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer diagnosis in the US behind breast cancer.
It can be difficult to diagnose because the disease does not have many symptoms in its early stages.
Individuals who experience any of the following symptoms should consult their doctor or a medical professional:
- persistent coughing
- coughing up blood
- frequently winded to struggling to breath
- sudden and unexplained fatigue
- rapid weight loss
- sharp pains when breathing
Joe Kerwin is a writer and researcher at SurvivorNet, based in New York. He is a Harvard graduate with a degree in history and literature, and he has held positions on the Harvard Advocate, and at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
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