ON THIS PAGE: You will find some basic information about this disease and the parts of the body it may affect. This is the first page of Cancer.Net’s Guide to Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Use the menu to see other pages. Think of that menu as a roadmap for this entire guide.
ON THIS PAGE: You will find out more about the factors that increase the chance of developing nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). Use the menu to see other pages.
ON THIS PAGE: You will find out more about the factors that increase the chance of developing bladder cancer. Use the menu to see other pages.
A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing cancer. Although risk factors often influence the development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer, while others with no known risk factors do. Knowing your risk factors and talking about them with your doctor may help you make more informed lifestyle and health care choices.
Even if you do not smoke, you may be exposed to secondhand smoke. This type of smoke can come from:
Someone breathing out smoke while smoking
A burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe
You may also hear secondhand smoke called passive or involuntary smoke, tobacco smoke pollution, or environmental tobacco smoke.
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Even brief moments around secondhand smoke can harm a person’s health. And the risk of health problems is greater with more exposure.
Tobacco use is responsible for more than 8 million deaths around the world each year. This includes many people who do not use tobacco but are exposed to its effects.
Cigarette smoking is the most common way to use tobacco worldwide. However, there are many other ways, and all of them are harmful. This information is about the use of tobacco and/or related chemicals such as nicotine in forms other than cigarettes.
Examples of these other forms include:
E-cigarettes or "vaping"
Smokeless tobacco
Waterpipes
