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20894306 tn?1582104858

Is it possible to get lung cancer without smoking?

I was wondering if it is possible to get lung cancer without smoking. My uncle had never smoked and never had a single drink in his entire life but recently he got diagnosed with lung cancer. everybody was in shock that how is it possible to get lung cancer and we're worried to death.
Can anybody tell what could be the reasons for lung cancer and what are the chances of survival?
3 Responses
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Avatar universal
Hi @paxiled so sorry to hear about your uncle. Sometimes it is observed that certain types of alcoholic beverages like heavy consumption of beer and hard liquor is found associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer.

Secondly, it might also happen that is it is because of genetic that you carry from your forefathers you never know the reason behind it could be many. So proper treatment is should be down now. Plus there are preventive measure as well for lung cancers you should consider it.
Helpful - 0
15695260 tn?1549593113
Hi there.  We're sorry anyone in your family has received this tough diagnosis.  How are they doing?  Here's an article from the American Cancer Society that goes over 'other' reasons lung cancer happens in non smokers.  https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/why-lung-cancer-strikes-nonsmokers.html  Radon gas is a big one that is very common in our environment.  Please let us know how it is going.  
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Avatar universal
Yes, it is.  There are other toxins that can cause mutation, such as asbestos.  It's also theoretically possible, though difficult to do, got get it from secondhand smoke.  A fireman could possibly get it from being around a lot of fires, because of the chemicals that get in the lungs.  It's not common, but it is possible.
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2 Comments
Hi @Paxiled, Thanks for taking your precious time to reply here. Well, I'm satisfied to some extent with your answer but what about those who have never been around the fire. I mean like you gave the example of a fireman.
My uncle is not any fireman and not have been around any gases or smoke now he is diagnosed with this kind of cancer which is really scary. I'm trying to find out the reasons and answers that how can he survive with this disease.
That was just an example.  I wasn't suggesting you have to be a fireman to be exposed to toxins in our environment that can lead to cancer down the road.  You just have to be alive in a modern industrial society that allows toxins to be spread as a byproduct of selling products.  That's how we live.  Most likely there was exposure over a period of time perhaps where he worked or in his home to something that his immune system couldn't handle and eventually triggered the out of control growth that happens with cancer.  So again, the answer is yes, other things can and do cause lung cancer, we just don't hear about them as much because they aren't as prevalent as smoking.
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