Indoor wood burning linked to 43% higher lung cancer risk in women, U.S. study finds.
Findings from a research study encompassing 50,000 women indicate that even infrequent use of wood burning may be linked to an increased risk of developing lung cancer.
According to a study conducted in the United States, the utilization of indoor wood stoves or fireplaces raises the risk of lung cancer in women by 43% when compared to those who do not use wood-based heating.
In the United Kingdom, the likelihood of being diagnosed with lung cancer during their lifetime for individuals born after 1960 is estimated to be one in 13 for men and one in 15 for women. In the United States, these odds are one in 16 for men and one in 17 for women.
The study conducted in the United States discovered that a higher frequency of indoor wood heating usage was associated with a heightened risk. For instance, individuals who used their wood burner on over 30 days annually faced a 68% higher risk of lung cancer when compared to those who abstained from wood burning.
These findings stem from the Sister Study, which monitors the health of 50,000 American women with sisters who have a history of breast cancer.
Dr. Suril Mehta, the primary author of the recent study and affiliated with the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, commented, “The primary objective of the Sister Study was to gain a deeper understanding of genetic and environmental factors influencing breast cancer risk, but it also possesses the capacity to investigate various health outcomes in women. In the United States, lung cancer stands as the leading cause of cancer-related fatalities among women, constituting approximately one-fifth of all cancer-related deaths.”
While globally, tobacco smoking remains the most significant risk factor for lung cancer, it is not the sole contributor, as demonstrated by the findings from the Sister Study. These latest results are the culmination of an average 11-year follow-up on the participants’ health. During this period, 347 individuals received a lung cancer diagnosis, comprising 289 current or former tobacco smokers and 58 non-smokers.
After accounting for income and other variables that could potentially influence the women’s health, distinct disparities emerged in the likelihood of developing lung cancer among individuals who used wood as a heating source compared to those who did not. This elevated risk was observed in both tobacco smokers and individuals who had never smoked.
In the United Kingdom, just 4% of homes using solid fuel depend on it as their sole heating source. Likewise, in the Sister Study, households predominantly relied on gas or electricity for heating, with wood being primarily utilized as a secondary or tertiary heating option.
Mehta stated, “Our research offers proof that even sporadic use of indoor wood burning through stoves and fireplaces can play a role in the development of lung cancer, particularly in populations where indoor wood burning is not the primary fuel source for cooking or heating within households.”
Professor Fay Johnston, affiliated with the Menzies Institute for Medical Research in Tasmania and not directly involved in the US study, commented, “The recent findings from the Sister Study furnish compelling evidence regarding the hazards associated with residing in homes heated through wood combustion. Even relatively modest usage was linked to a heightened risk of lung cancer.”
She further emphasized, “The message is unmistakable for policymakers and the general public: the smoke produced by wood heaters is not safe. Taking measures to diminish exposure to wood heater emissions in homes and communities should be of utmost importance.”
This study contributes to the mounting body of evidence regarding the cancer risk associated with wood smoke. Back in October 2006, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified wood smoke as likely carcinogenic to humans. While considerably smaller in scale than the Sister Study and employing a different methodology, an international study conducted in 2010 discovered an elevated risk of lung cancer in individuals who used wood and coal heating compared to those who did not.
Mehta stated, “The smoke produced by indoor wood-burning appliances may contain substances like benzene, 1,3-butadiene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and various other harmful air pollutants that are recognized or suspected to be associated with the development of lung cancer.”
Within the Sister Study, the use of gas or propane heating in stoves and fireplaces was also linked to a heightened risk of lung cancer, albeit to a considerably lesser extent compared to wood burning.
A prior analysis conducted within the framework of the Sister Study came to the conclusion that indoor wood burning-generated air pollution constituted a widespread and potentially amendable risk factor for breast cancer.
