Wildfire Pollutants Increase Risk of Lung, Brain Tumors
Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke increases a person’s risk for developing lung and brain cancer by 5% and 10%, respectively, according to study findings published in Lancet Planetary Health (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00067-5).
Researchers analyzed (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00067-5) data from the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort of more than 2 million people who had been followed for a median of 20 years for a total of 34 million person-years. They defined exposure to wildfires as living within a 20 km or 50 km radius of a burned area and estimated the correlation with specific cancers associated with wildfire carcinogenic compounds, including lung and brain cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia.
They found (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00067-5) a 4.9% increased risk of lung cancer among those within either radius of a wildfire within the past 10 years and a 10% increased risk of brain tumors but no increased risk for hematologic cancers.
“Further work is needed to develop long-term estimates of wildfire exposures that capture the complex mixture of environmental pollutants released during these events,” the researchers concluded (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00067-5).
The environment has a significant impact on nursing practice, cancer care, and the entire healthcare system. Read the evidence and how you can take action (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/climate-change-is-contributing-to-the-cancer-burden-and-nurses-must-take-action). And learn more about an ONS group that’s taking the issue to policymakers and advocating for real change on the Oncology Nursing Podcast Episode 190: The Environment, Cancer, and Nurses’ Role in Advocating for Climate Change (http://ons.org/podcasts/episode-190-environment-cancer-and-nurses-role-advocating-climate-change).