This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The most significant cause of lung cancer is smoking, with 80-90% of lung cancer occuring in smokers (1,2).

Passive smoking, though not as significant a risk factor as smoking oneself, increases the risk of bronchial carcinoma by a factor of 1.5, and may account for 5% of lung cancer.

Other aetiological agents include:

  • asbestos:
    • blue asbestos poses the greatest risk
    • associated with pleural mesothelioma and bronchial carcinoma

  • dust containing arsenics, dichromates, chromates, nickel (2)

  • coal tar and products of coal combustion (3)

  • chronic inflammation predisposes to alveolar cell carcinoma

  • ionising radiation (1,2)

  • chronic inflammation is associated with adenocarcinoma of the lung (4)

Notes:

  • there is evidence that lung tumours associated with occupational exposure to arsenic are more likely to be adenocarcinomas (5)
  • polymorphisms in the genes for inflammatory mediator's (interleukin) IL1A and IL1B are more frequent in patients with lung cancer, in particular amongst heavy smokers (6)

Reference:

  1. Ruano-Ravina A et al. Lung cancer and related risk factors: an update of the literature. Public Health 2003;117 (3):149-156.
  2. Alberg AJ et al. Epidemiology of lung cancer: looking to the future. J Clin Oncol. 2005 May 10;23(14):3175-85
  3. Randem BG et al. Cancer incidence among male Norwegian asphalt workers. Am J Ind Med. 2003 Jan;43(1):88-95
  4. Barsky SH et al. The extracellular matrix of the pulmonary scar carcinomas is suggestive of desmoplastic origin. Am J Pathol 1986 124:412.
  5. Guo H et al. Cell Type Specificity of Lung Cancer Associated with Arsenic Ingestion.Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2004; 13: 638-643.
  6. Engels EA et al. Systematic Evaluation of Genetic Variants in the Inflammation Pathway and Risk of Lung Cancer. Cancer Res. 2007 Jun 27

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.