How To Prevent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer. It arises as abnormal cells develop in or around the lungs and form tumors. Most cases of NSCLC are caused by smoking tobacco, but other factors like older age and genetics can raise your risk.

While non-small cell lung cancer can’t always be prevented, there still are steps you can take to lower your risk. This starts by understanding the habits that increase your chances of developing NSCLC and working to avoid them.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Anyone can develop non-small cell lung cancer. However, certain people are at increased risk for this condition.

People Who Smoke

People who currently or used to smoke tobacco are at the highest risk for NSCLC. Compared with those who never smoked, people who smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipe tobacco are 10 times more likely to develop lung cancer.

Smoking exposes the lungs to chemicals that cause DNA mutations in the cells. Over time, this leads to the formation of malignant (cancer) cells.

People Older Than 65

Due to changes in your body as you get older, aging is another risk factor for all cancers, including NSCLC. The average age of lung cancer diagnosis is 70. Lung cancer is rare in those younger than 45.

People Exposed to Air Pollution

As with smoking, exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (smoke from someone else’s cigar, cigarette, or pipe) or toxic substances in the air can affect lung cell DNA. In turn, your risk for NSCLC rises. People living in dense, urban areas or areas with pollution have a higher chance of developing lung cancer.

People With Certain Jobs

Manufacturing, machining, construction, and other work that involves exposure to industrial or commercial chemicals can raise the risk of lung cancer. Toxic substances you may be exposed to at work that can impact cells in the lungs include:

• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Uranium, beryllium, vinyl chloride, gasoline, diesel exhaust, and other chemicals
• Certain paints, alloys, preservatives, or pigments
• Nickel
• Chromium
• Chloride
• Formaldehyde

People With a Family History of Lung Cancer

Having a close relative with lung cancer raises your risk. This is true regardless of whether you have a history of smoking. Researchers found that people with a family history of lung cancer were about twice as likely to develop NSCLC.

People Who've Had Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that relies on X-rays to kill cancer cells and stop their spread. When treating cancer in the chest or breast, exposure to this radioactivity can actually raise lung cancer risk. That said, radiation therapy is also among the treatment options for NSCLC.

People With HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted infection that attacks immune cells. Over time, this affects your body’s ability to fight off diseases and stop the development of cancer cells.

Lung cancer is 2-4 times more common among people with HIV than the general population. People with HIV who develop lung cancer are also more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age, typically a decade earlier than those without HIV.

Genetics

While genes alone don’t cause lung cancer, certain mutations can play a role. Seen in over 60% of NSCLC cases, KRAS, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and ERBB2 are the most common genes involved. These genes help regulate the lifecycle of cells and suppress irregular growth; mutations allow malignant cells to multiply and spread.

If you have higher chances of developing non-small lung cancer—or if you’ve developed it—it may be worth considering genetic testing and genetic counseling. Not only might this illuminate your potential risk of the condition, but it can help specialists make treatments more effective, an approach called targeted medicine.

How To Reduce Risk

Preventing non-small cell lung cancer primarily means promoting the health of your lungs and avoiding things that damage them. Quitting or avoiding smoking is critical for reducing your risk. In addition, other lifestyle changes and complementary methods can play a role.  

Testings and Screenings

Screening for lung cancer—checking for cancer even though there are no symptoms—is only recommended for people at high risk for the cancer. You may be at high risk if you are between 50-80, have a history of smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years, and either still smoke or quit within the last 15 years.

Healthcare providers most commonly use low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT). This low-radiation X-ray produces detailed images of the lungs, allowing providers to detect abnormal cells and tumors.

That said, there are some risks to screening for NSCLC. A false positive result (a result that says you have cancer even though you don't) can cause stress and trigger unnecessary treatments.

Unnecessary screening can also lead to overdiagnosis, which is when cancer is detected and treated even though the cancer was likely never to cause a problem and treatment was potentially never needed. In addition, repeated LDCT scans can actually raise cancer risk.

Talk to your provider about the risks and benefits of cancer screening.   

Lifestyle Habits

Central to any lung cancer prevention plan are changes to your lifestyle and environment. These include:

• Avoid smoking: Avoiding the number-one risk factor for NSCLC, smoking tobacco, is critical. Since the nicotine in cigarettes, cigars, and other products is addictive, stopping can be challenging. Talk to your healthcare provider about evidence-backed smoking cessation methods, programs, and medications that can help. Counseling or group therapy may also help.
• Keep smoke-free spaces: Since second-hand smoke can raise NSCLC risk, keep your home or car smoke-free. If you are a smoker, smoke outside for the sake of friends and family.
• Avoid environmental exposure: If you’re exposed to chemicals or fumes at work, take steps to avoid inhaling them. When working with industrial chemicals or other substances that raise cancer risk, wear the proper protective mask, use proper ventilation, and avoid inhaling any fumes.
• Perform a radon test: Radon is an odorless radioactive substance released from certain types of rock, soil, and building materials. Exposure raises lung cancer risk, especially in smokers. Use a kit or have a professional test your home for radon, especially if you’re having renovations or don’t know the levels. If radon levels are high, have them install a radon reduction system.
• Consider your dietary choices: The evidence linking diet and lung cancer is mixed. However, some research has found boosting your intake of fresh vegetables and fruit—and cutting back on sugars—may help lower risk. If you’re a smoker, avoid beta-keratine supplements, which can raise cancer risk.
• Stay physically active: At least 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity per week helps prevent other types of cancer and may help with NSCLC. While more research is needed to confirm the relationship, studies show lower lung cancer rates among more active people.

Complementary Methods

Certain complementary and alternative medicine methods may help with smoking cessation and lung cancer prevention. Evidence-backed methods outside of traditional medicine include:

• Acupuncture: This is the practice of inserting thin needles (or applying pressure, as in acupressure) into specific points on the body to promote health and relaxation. Although evidence is mixed, researchers found stimulating points in the outer ear—auricular acupuncture—to help with quitting smoking when combined with other methods.
• Mindfulness: Another method that may help people quit tobacco is mindfulness. Combining deep breathing exercises and meditation, this practice focuses on changing your thinking surrounding smoking. Evidence of efficacy for stopping this habit is limited, but it may reduce your stress response to tobacco withdrawal. More research is needed.
• Hypnotherapy: In this therapeutic practice, a therapist guides you into a deeply relaxed state and uses the power of suggestion to change your attitude toward tobacco. There’s some evidence this helps. One study found quit rates 12-26 weeks shorter with hypnotherapy compared to nicotine replacement therapy (using patches or gum to wean off nicotine).
• Yoga: Yoga involves stretching and breathing exercises to promote relaxation and manage stress. As part of a broader strategy for quitting smoking, regular sessions may help ease the stress of stopping. In one study, yoga boosted quit rates at two months, though more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness.

Discuss With Your Healthcare Provider

Non-small cell lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Especially if you have a history of smoking, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about non-small cell cancer. Let them know about your concerns and ask them for steps you can take to prevent this condition.

As you work to prevent NSCLC, keeping lines of communication with your provider open is important. Before making any major lifestyle changes or adopting alternative therapies—and if there are any other major changes in health status or medications—let them know and seek their input.  

A Quick Review 

The most common type of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develops as cancer cells form in and around the lungs. Smoking tobacco is the most significant risk factor, alongside others like air pollution, family history of lung cancer, and exposure to toxins at work.

Preventing NSCLC is not always possible. However, you can lower your risk of developing it primarily by avoiding or quitting smoking. In addition, lifestyle methods and complementary approaches may help prevent NSCLC.