American Internet Tech donates to American Cancer Society (November 2019)
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. As many as 20% of people who die from lung cancer in the United States every year have never smoked or used any other form of tobacco. In fact, if lung cancer in non-smokers had its own separate category, it would rank among the top 10 fatal cancers in the United States.
Lung cancer happens because cells in the lung mutate or change. Most often those changes happen from breathing in harmful chemicals in the air. While it’s true that staying away from tobacco is the most important thing any of us can do to lower our risk of getting lung cancer, there are also other risk factors. And some people who get lung cancer have no known risk factors.
Researchers continue to make progress in understanding what can cause lung cancer in people who have never used tobacco:
Radon gas. The leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers is exposure to radon gas, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It accounts for about 21,000 deaths from lung cancer each year.
Secondhand smoke. Each year, about 7,000 adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing secondhand smoke. Laws that ban smoking in public places have helped to reduce this danger.
Cancer-causing agents at work. Some people are exposed to carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) such as arsenic, asbestos and diesel exhaust at their workplace.
Air pollution. Researchers have known for a long time that both indoor and outdoor air pollution can contribute to lung cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies outdoor air pollution as a carcinogen.
Gene mutations. Researchers are learning more about what causes cells to become cancerous, and how lung cancer cells differ between people who have never smoked and those who smoke.
Monthly giving allows the American Cancer Society to save more than 500 lives a day from cancer. That is why American Internet Tech proceeds to one more monthly donation. Because together we are fighting cancer smarter, better and harder than ever before.
