Pathways Contact PEIA Home Return to Index Lung Cancer Today lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in men and women. About 150,000 Americans die from lung cancer each year, and 85 percent of them can thank cigarettes for the disease. In less than a decade, lung cancer deaths for white females have increased 60 percent, replacing breast cancer as the most common cause of cancer-related death in women. One of these is radon, a radioactive gas. High levels of radon are found in underground uranium mines.
Much lower levels can build up in some homes.
Lung cancer is especially deadly because the rich network of blood vessels that deliver oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body can also spread cancer very quickly. By the time it's diagnosed, other organs may be affected. The risk of developing lung cancer is proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Also, the longer a person smokes and the more deeply the smoke is inhaled, the greater the risk of getting lung cancer. Avoid secondhand smoke.