While many researchers have focused on the connection between smoking and lung cancer, research from Michigan State University has found that where people live also can make a difference.
Veronica Bernacchi, assistant professor at the MSU College of Nursing, explains the findings that were published in BMC Public Health. Additional contributions were made by experts from the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health in the MSU College of Human Medicine, Henry Ford Health and the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. This research was conducted using publicly available information from the 2022 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps website.
What should people know about lung cancer?
Lung cancer is a common cancer in the United States and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. We already know that smoking, a person’s genetics, and exposure to chemicals and air pollution can contribute to a person’s chances of getting lung cancer. This research is important because it shows that where someone lives can affect their chances of developing and dying from lung cancer.
How does where you live affect your risk of lung cancer?
Living in communities that are both rural and are experiencing persistent poverty (where 20% or more people have lived below the federal poverty line since 1980) increases potential exposure to factors that can cause lung cancer. There also is a higher risk of being diagnosed with and dying from lung cancer.
This may be because people in these communities have greater exposure to risk factors, such as smoking. In addition to smoking, risks may include exposure to environmental toxins and poor access to health care providers. It is also likely due to having long travel distances to receive health care services, a lack of cancer specialists in the area and higher numbers of people who are uninsured.
These findings were true even when we removed the influence of health insurance coverage, the racial and ethnic composition of the community, and access to primary care providers. Residents in urban areas with persistent poverty are also at a greater risk of lung cancer than people who live in rural or urban areas without persistent poverty.
If someone lives in an area where the risk of lung cancer is high, what should they do?
When people know that where they live could increase their risk of lung cancer and poor outcomes — including cancer-related deaths — they can take action. For example, they can talk to their health care team about their risk of lung cancer, how to reduce their risk of lung cancer and when to get lung cancer screening.
How can health care professionals help?
When a clinician knows that a patient lives in a community with a higher risk of lung cancer, they should discuss risks, prevention and screening. Clinicians also can work with scientists to develop and implement new community-based programs to reduce lung cancer risk and improve access to lung cancer screening.
