Lung Cancer

• Smoking — Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. Other tobacco products such as cigars or pipes also increase the risk for lung cancer.
• Secondhand Smoke — Smoke from other people’s cigarettes, pipes or cigars also causes lung cancer.
• Radon — Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that forms in rocks, soil and water. When it gets into buildings through cracks or holes, it can get trapped and concentrations can build up in the air inside. People who live or work in these homes and buildings breathe in high radon levels.
• Other Substances — Examples of substances found at some workplaces that increase risk include: asbestos; arsenic; diesel exhaust; and some forms of silica and chromium.
• Personal or Family History of Lung Cancer — If you are a lung cancer survivor, there is a risk that you may develop another lung cancer, especially if you smoke. Your risk of lung cancer may be higher if your parents, brothers or sisters, or children have had lung cancer.
• Radiation Therapy to the Chest — Cancer survivors who had radiation therapy to the chest are at higher risk of lung cancer.
• Diet — People who smoke and take beta-carotene supplements have increased risk of lung cancer. Also, arsenic and radon in drinking water (primarily from private wells) can increase a person's risk of lung cancer.

Source: Lung Cancer Risk Factors | CDC
 

If you are 50-80 years old and eligible for lung cancer screening, screening should occur prior to symptoms beginning. Most people with lung cancer don’t have symptoms until the cancer is advanced. Symptoms of lung cancer can include:

• Coughing that gets worse or doesn't go away.
• Chest pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Wheezing.
• Coughing up blood.
• Feeling very tired all the time.
• Weight loss with no known cause.

Other changes that can sometimes occur with lung cancer may include repeated bouts of pneumonia and swollen or enlarged lymph nodes (glands) inside the chest in the area between the lungs.

These signs and symptoms can happen with other illnesses, too. If you have some of these signs and symptoms, talk to your doctor, who can help find the cause.

Source: Symptoms of Lung Cancer | CDC

If you would like to have the MDHHS Cancer Section Inflatable Colon at an event, view this flyer.

The Lung Cancer Control Program (LCCP) is working to increase the rate of lung cancer screening in Michigan. Lung cancer screening has been proven to reduce lung cancer deaths. The program promotes policy and health systems change as a way to help ensure all eligible people receive lung cancer screening. This includes determination of eligibility for lung cancer screening and also referrals to both lung cancer screening and tobacco dependence treatment services.

• 2025 Program Accomplishments
• 2024 Program Accomplishments
• 2023 Program Accomplishments
• 2021 Program Accomplishments
• 2020 Program Accomplishments

• Lung Cancer in Michigan Dashboard
• Michigan Cancer Atlas Dashboard

For more information about lung cancer in Michigan, visit the Cancer Epidemiology website.

For information about Michigan cancer clusters and investigations, visit the MDHHS Cancer Investigation Program website.

• George Washington University Cancer Center:
• Lung Cancer Awareness Month Campaign materials
• Other Health Awareness Campaign toolkits
• Lung Cancer Screening Coding:
• Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening FAQ | American College of Radiology
• Lung Cancer Screening Billing Guide
• Billing and Coding: IDTFs and Low Dose CT Scan for Lung Cancer Screening for CPT Code 71271
• Lung Cancer Screening Locator Tool (American College of Radiology)
• Michigan Tobacco Quitlink — 1-800-Quit Now (784-8669). Help your patients become tobacco-free.
• Lung Cancer, Health Professional Version (National Cancer Institute)
• The National Lung Cancer Roundtable (NLCRT) is committed to its mission of creating lung cancer survivors. 
• The NLCRT, along with partners, hosted a seven-part Lung Cancer Screening Webinar Series in 2021 focusing on the new lung cancer screening eligibility criteria from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. For more information, visit ACR Webinar.
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Final Recommendation Statement — Lung Cancer: Screening
• Radon:
• Reducing the Risk From Radon: Information and Interventions (Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc.)
• Finding and Using a Radon Test Kit (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy)