How to prevent lung cancer, regardless of whether you smoke, according to a doctor
CTV
More people who have never touched a cigarette are getting lung cancer, but there are ways to prevent it, according to a doctor.
If you've never touched a cigarette or vaped, lung cancer may be the furthest thing from your mind.
While the number of cases of tobacco-related lung cancer has fallen, more non-smokers are surprisingly getting the disease, according to a doctor.
"We often say if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer," Dr. Natasha Leighl, clinician investigator with Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, said in an interview with CTV's Your Morning on Monday.
With the rise in cases among non-smokers, Leighl shared ways to prevent it.
You're more likely to get lung cancer if you're exposed to second-hand smoke, air pollution, as well as radon, Leighl said. Radon is a radioactive gas created from the natural decay of uranium in all rocks and soils, according to the World Health Organization.
Genetics also plays an important role in developing lung cancer, she added.
There are differences in lung cancer between non-smokers and smokers.