Don’t use tobacco products. If you do, stop. Tobacco use is responsible for almost 90% of lung cancers. In addition, smoking contributes to the development of heart disease, emphysema and other lung diseases, and other cancers including those of the throat, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, kidney, colon and rectum, bladder, and cervix. For information on how to quit smoking, visit the Surgeon General’s Website on tobacco cessation or call the toll-free Smoking Quitline of the National Cancer Institute at 1-877-44-U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848).

Avoid second-hand smoke, which can also cause lung cancer. In addition, protect children from second-hand smoke, because exposure can cause pneumonia, bronchitis, and reduced lung function. Second-hand smoke is a key risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is also called crib death. SIDS is the leading cause of death among U.S. children aged one to eleven months.

If you are a heavy smoker, beta carotene supplements may increase your risk of lung cancer.

In addition to tobacco smoke, exposures to asbestos and radon are associated with lung cancer.