Lung cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide.

Risk factors for lung cancer include the following:

• Smoking The risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke per day and the number of years you have smoked. Quitting smoking at any age can greatly lower your risk of lung cancer.
• Exposure to smoke from other smokers. Even if you don't smoke, your risk of lung cancer increases if you're exposed to secondhand smoke.
• Previous radiotherapy. If you've had radiation therapy to your chest for another type of cancer, you may be at increased risk of developing lung cancer.
• Exposure to radon gas. Radon is produced by the natural decay of uranium in soil, rock, and water, and over time it becomes part of the air you breathe. Dangerous levels of radon can build up in any building, including homes.
• Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogenic substances. Occupational exposure to asbestos and other substances that have been shown to cause cancer (such as arsenic, chromium, and nickel) can also increase your risk of lung cancer, especially if you're a smoker.
• Family history of lung cancer. People with a parent, sibling, or child with lung cancer are at increased risk of developing this disease.

We can all contribute in biomedical research progress. If you wish you can donate the left over material after diagnosis obtained during the treatment process (blood samples, biological liquids and tissue) for carrying out biomedical research without causing you any additional inconvenience. There is a network of biobanks managing human biological samples for biomedical research.