Causes

Who is more likely to get lung cancer

It's not always known what causes lung cancer, but it can be caused by lifestyle, genetic changes, and environmental factors.

Having certain health conditions can also make you more likely to get lung cancer.

You may be more likely to get lung cancer if:

you smoke
you've often breathed in other peoples' smoke over a long period of time (passive smoking)
you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
a close relative has had lung cancer
you work or used to work in the building industry and may have breathed in asbestos fibres over a long period of time
you've breathed in air pollution over a long period of time
you've breathed in radon over a long period of time - radon is a natural gas that's sometimes found in high levels inside buildings in some areas of the UK

Find out more

How to lower your risk of lung cancer

Do

quit smoking
stay active and exercise regularly
eat a healthy diet including at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day

It's important to get any symptoms of lung cancer checked by a GP.

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
Photos: OutUK and LightFieldStudios.