11 Things About Lung Cancer Doctors Wish You Knew

Lung cancer causes the most cancer deaths

The 23 best ways to stop smoking can reduce your chances of getting lung cancer. But if you’re still lighting up, here’s exactly what it’s doing to your body to cause the condition: “Smoking introduces various toxic substances into the lungs that can affect the DNA of lung cells,” says Jacob Sands, MD, an oncologist and lung cancer researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “These toxins increase the chance of mutations, or changes, developing in the DNA of lung cells.” When certain mutations replicate out of control, that’s cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in U.S. adults—more than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.

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