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 (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.