More men and women die of lung cancer than any other type of cancer in the United States. In recent years, more women have died each year of lung cancer than even breast cancer. This is because more women continue to smoke cigarettes.
Cigarette smoking is by far the most important preventable cause of lung cancer.
Tobacco is linked to 87 percent of all cases. Second-hand tobacco smoke increases lung cancer risk for nonsmokers. In smokers who stop smoking, damaged lung tissue and cancer risk may return to near normal. It is hard to detect lung cancer in its early stages. There are usually no symptoms with early lung cancer.