4 | September 2024 LUNG CANCER PREVENTION ALA AND IEA PARTNER TO PROMOTE TOBACCO CESSATION The American Lung Association and Indoor Environments Association Partner to Equip Radon and Vapor Intrusion Professionals and Their Families With Proven-Effective Tobacco Cessation Program to Lower Risks of Lung Cancer. About every two minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with lung cancer, and every day, lung cancer takes the lives of more than 357 of our friends, neighbors and loved ones. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., claiming as many lives every year as breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers combined. In 2023, it was estimated that in the U.S. there would be close to 238,000 new cases diagnosed. Radon is the number-one cause of lung cancer among neversmokers and radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer overall. According to EPA estimates, radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. Smoking is the leading cause of all lung cancer deaths, accounting for between 80 and 90 percent. Cigarette smoking is the #1 cause of preventable death and disease worldwide and causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths. Lung cancer risk from radon is much higher for smokers due to synergistic effects between radon and cigarette smoking. Radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke. In fact, smokers have been estimated to be from 8 to as much as 25 times more at risk from radon than never-smokers. However, since an estimated 20,000 or more lung cancer diagnoses annually involve patients who have never smoked, smoking history is not the only contributing risk factor. Radon-Smoking Synergy Considering tobacco smoke and radon exposure are the two leading causes of lung cancer, and exposure to both (i.e., synergistic risk) heightens the probability of developing the disease, it is important to acknowledge the benefits of radon exposure risk reduction and the benefits of tobacco cessation, and to help link individuals with proven-effective strategies to eliminate both from impacting individuals and families across the U.S. It is equally important to provide eligible individuals at risk for lung cancer with the education and tools to receive annual low-dose CT scans which can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20 percent by detecting tumors at early stages when the cancer is more likely to be curable. Nationally, only 4.5 percent of individuals at high risk for lung cancer have been screened. Lung cancer screening and early detection can save an estimated 500,000 additional years of life if all those eligible would be screened. Benefits of Tobacco Cessation Radon and Vapor Intrusion Professionals are experts on the benefits of radon exposure risk reduction but may not be as aware of the benefits of tobacco cessation. Regardless of a person’s age or how long that individual has been smoking, quitting is the single most important action people can take to reduce their risk for respiratory diseases. Quitting smoking: • Reduces the risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). • Among those with COPD, slows the progression of COPD and reduces the loss of lung function over time. • Reduces respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sputum production, wheezing. • Reduces respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. • May improve lung function, reduce symptoms, and improve treatment outcomes in people with asthma. By Jennifer Hobbs Folkenroth and Kevin M. Stewart, American Lung Association
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