While most lung cancers are caused by smoking cigarettes, the American Cancer Society wants to lower the stigma around the disease so that more cancers can be caught early and treated effectively.

American Cancer Society Senior Community Development Manager Kim Durst says lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second most common cancer among men and women in the U.S. Durst encourages everyone with symptoms including a worsening cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath to not feel ashamed to talk with their physician, “There’s so much of a stigma that if you have lung cancer it was because you smoked or you use tobacco. And that is one thing that we want to make sure that everyone is aware of that yes, tobacco use is one of the primary causes of lung cancer but there’s also other factors like if you’ve had exposure to asbestos or secondhand smoking. There are other causes to lung cancer and you just really don’t want that stigma.”

Durst notes that radon is also considered the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., responsible for more than 20,000 deaths each year. Radon is a gas you cannot smell, taste, or see, as it comes naturally from rocks and soil. Durst encourages new homeowners and others unfamiliar to test the radon in their home either by purchasing a test kit or by contacting their local environmental health office.