1Mansel Nelson, ITEP

Leading Causes of Lung Cancer

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First Leading Cause of Lung Cancer

Smoking is leading cause of lung cancer  Causes an estimated 160,000 deaths in the

U.S. every year (American Cancer Society, 2004 

Rate among women is rising  Now exceeds breast cancer

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Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer

Radon is number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers 

Second leading cause of lung cancer  Responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer

deaths every year  About 2,900 among people who have

never smoked 

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Third Leading Cause of Lung Cancer

Secondhand smoke is third leading cause of lung cancer

Estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths every year 

About 1,000 never smoked; about 2,000 former smokers

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Another Leading Cause of Cancer

Asbestos exposureHighest risk

Mining, milling, manufacturing of asbestos

Use asbestos and its products

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Synergistic Connections(Radon and Smoking)

Radon and smoking are synergistic Smokers: 62 of 1,000 people will die of lung

cancerNever-smokers: 7.3 of 1,000 for never-

smokers Never-smoker at 1.3 pCi/L (indoor average):

2 in 1,000 chance of dying from lung cancerSmoker at 1.3 pCi/L (indoor average): 20 in

1,000 chance of dying from lung cancer

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Synergistic Connections(Asbestos and Smoking)

Exposure to asbestos increases risk of developing lung disease

Risk made worse by smoking

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SmokingHarms nearly every bodily organCausing many diseases, degrades healthEstimated 438,000 deaths (nearly 1 of 5

deaths) each year in U.S.More than by all deaths from human

immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined

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Smoking (cont.)Cancer is second leading cause of death First disease directly linked to smokingRisk of dying from lung cancer

23x higher among men 13x higher among women

Smoking causes cancers of bladder, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx (voice box), esophagus, cervix, kidney, lung, pancreas, and stomach, and acute myeloid leukemia

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Smoking (cont.)Smokers 2–4 times more likely to develop

coronary heart diseaseSmoking doubles a person’s risk for strokeSmokers more than 10x as likely than

nonsmokers to develop peripheral vascular disease

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Smoking (cont.)Causes tenfold increase in risk of dying

from chronic obstructive lung diseaseMany adverse reproductive and early

childhood effects, including increased risk for infertility, preterm delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Postmenopausal women smokers have lower bone density

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Radon (cont.)Radon in air is ubiquitous Found in outdoor air and indoor

air of buildings of all kinds  No known safe level of radon

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Radon (cont.)Red alert - radon level above 4 pCi/L

(pico Curies per Liter) Yellow alert - radon levels between 2

pCi/L and 4 pCi/L Average radon indoor air about 1.3

pCi/L

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Radon in BuildingsFrom soilLower parts of

building at greatest risk

“Stack effect”

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Radon Testing

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Surgeon General’s ReportSecond-Hand Smoke

Single greatest avoidable cause of

disease and death

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Surgeon General’s Report (cont.)

Millions of Americans, children and adults, still exposed to second-hand smoke

Second-hand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke

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Surgeon General’s Report (cont.)

Children exposed to secondhand smoke at increased risk for

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Acute respiratory infections Ear problems More severe asthma

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Smoke-Free Pledge

http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/

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Surgeon General’s Report (cont.)

Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects Cardiovascular system and causes Coronary heart diseaseLung cancer

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Surgeon General’s Report (cont.)

The scientific evidence indicates there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke

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Surgeon General’s Report (cont.)Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces

fully protects nonsmokers Following actions DO Not protect

nonsmokersSeparating smokers from nonsmokersCleaning the airVentilating buildings

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Asbestos

What does it look like?

fibrous, friable (able to crumble) and fluffy, almost like a muddy brown or white cotton wool

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Asbestos – Health ImpactsLung CancerAsbestosis – serious,

progressive, long-term non-cancer disease of the lungs

Mesothelioma – rare form of cancer found in thin lining (membrane) of lungs

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Where is asbestos found?

Acoustic insulatorThermal insulationFire proofingOther building materialsBrake pads / drum Brake liningsAsbestos-cement

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Isn’t asbestos banned?

Asbestos is NOT a banned substance

In 1989, EPA banned all NEW uses of asbestos

Uses established before 1989 are still allowed

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Health Risk

Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk

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SchoolsPerform inspections and re-

inspection every three years of asbestos-containing material

Asbestos management plan Notification to parent, teacher, and

employee organizations Provide custodial staff with

asbestos-awareness training

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Work PlaceU.S. Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA) has issued revised regulations covering asbestos exposure

In construction, there are special regulated-area requirements for asbestos removal, renovation, and demolition operations

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HomeMaterials containing asbestos that are

not disturbed or deteriorated do not, in general, pose a health risk and can be left alone

If you are concerned, contact EPA or Health Department

- Test your home - Locate a company trained to remove or contain fibers

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Synergism of Asbestos and SmokingCigarette smoke and asbestos

together significantly increase your chances of getting lung cancer

If you have been exposed to asbestos, you should stop smoking

This may be the most important action that you can take to improve your health and decrease your risk of cancer

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Tobacco Resourceshttp://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secon

dhandsmoke/www.cancer.org www.lungusa.org www.nci.nih.gov/

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Radon Resourceshttp://www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html

www.neha-nrpp.org/

www.nrsb.org

http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap/alaska.htm

http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/freepubs/RAD-01250.pdf

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Asbestos Referenceshttp://www.epa.gov/asbestos/

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp61.html

http://ehs.okstate.edu/training/OSHASBES.HTM

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html

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Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP)

Mansel A. Nelson, Senior Program CoordinatorEnvironmental Education Outreach Program

(EEOP)Northern Arizona University (NAU)http://www.nau.edu/eeop/mansel.nelson@nau.edu

Voice 928 523 1275FAX 928 523 1280PO Box 5768, Flagstaff, AZ 86011

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