Secondhand Smoke And Lung Cancer Risk

Invisible and often underestimated, secondhand smoke poses a significant health hazard, especially when it comes to lung cancer. Understanding the risks associated with secondhand smoke is the first step in making informed choices that promote a healthier, smoke-free future. Secondhand smoke will contribute to an estimated 6,000 cases of lung cancer in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society.

Meghana Raghavendra, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist with Franciscan Physician Network Oncology & Hematology Specialists in Columbus, Indiana, shares expert insight on the health impacts of secondhand smoke, including the increased risks for lung cancer risk, other cancers and diseases, and how to protect yourself and your children from its effects.

What Is Secondhand Smoke?

Secondhand smoke is a combination of the smoke given off by the burning tobacco product and the smoke exhaled by a smoker. Secondhand smoke contains many of the same toxic chemicals that cause lung cancer in smokers.

Being exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work can increase your risk of lung cancer by as much as 30 percent. But as many as 56 million Americans are routinely exposed to secondhand smoke and don't even know it, new research suggests. Researchers detected a nicotine byproduct from secondhand smoke in the blood of more than half of 13,000 adults, despite less people reporting being exposed to secondhand smoke, in a study in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

How Harmful Is Secondhand Smoke?

If you’re around secondhand smoke, you are wise to be thinking about the ramifications on your own health. Secondhand smoke is known to contain more than 7,000 chemicals, including about 70 that can cause cancer.

What Are My Risks Of Developing Lung Cancer From Secondhand Smoke?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide in both men and women.

Smoking is the primary risk factor for developing lung cancer, accounting for 90 percent of all lung cancers. Secondhand smoke, however, is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. The American Lung Association reports that secondhand smoke causes more than 7,300 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, and being exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work can increase your risk of lung cancer by as much as 30 percent, even if you do not smoke.

Can Secondhand Smoke Cause Other Cancers?

If you live with a smoker, breathing in their smoke could increase your risk of oral cancer by more than 50%. Exposures of more than 10 or 15 years increased the risk of oral cancer to more than twice that of people not exposed to secondhand smoke.

The American Cancer Society also reports a link between secondhand smoke and:

• Cancers in the voice box, the part of the throat behind the nose, and nasal sinuses
• Breast cancer
• Lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Brain tumors

What Diseases Can Come From Secondhand Smoke?

Besides cancers, inhaling secondhand smoke can contribute to a range of serious health conditions such as asthma, unhealthy blood vessels, hypertension and premature cardiovascular disease or death.

According to the CDC, nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work have a 25% to 30% higher risk of heart disease and a 20% to 30% higher risk of stroke.

In children, the effects of secondhand smoke can result in kids who are sick more often, are more likely to cough and wheeze, come down with more ear infections and experience more lung infections, like pneumonia and bronchitis.

Is There A Safe Level Of Exposure To Secondhand Smoke?

Unfortunately, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

The U.S. surgeon general has said there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke, which contains hundreds of toxins such as nicotine, ammonia and carbon monoxide.

How Can I Avoid Secondhand Smoke?

Protecting yourself and your family from secondhand smoke is crucial for your health and well-being. Here are some ways you can avoid secondhand smoke.

Create A Smoke-Free Home

Making your home completely smoke-free is one of the most effective steps you can take to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. This means not allowing anyone to smoke inside.

Living with a smoker can increase a non-smoker's chances of developing cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

Establishing a smoke-free environment within your home protects your family, guests and even pets. Children, in particular, are highly sensitive to secondhand smoke, and a smoke-free home is vital for their development and well-being.

Note, if you live in an apartment complex or other multi-housing environment, the effects of secondhand smoke can travel through air ducts, cracks in walls and floors, elevator shafts, and crawl spaces.

Drive In Smoke-Free Cars

People often spend a significant amount of time in cars, and smoking in the vehicle can lead to the accumulation of toxins, even with windows open or air-conditioning on. Consider adopting a smoke-free car policy to protect your loved ones.

Support Smoke-Free Public Spaces

Encourage and support smoke-free policies in public spaces such as city buildings, malls, schools, colleges, and hospitals. Many of these facilities have already implemented smoke-free regulations, including in their parking lots. By endorsing these policies, you contribute to creating healthier environments for everyone.

How Can I Protect Myself From Secondhand Smoke Indoors?

The best way to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke is to eliminate smoking in indoor spaces. Tobacco smoke can move through air ducts, wall and floor cracks and crawl spaces, so simply separating the smoker from the non-smoker indoors in another room or by opening the windows doesn't solve the problem.

What Should I Do If I'm Regularly Exposed To Secondhand Smoke?

If you haven’t already, talk to your primary care doctor about your exposure to secondhand smoke and the accompanying risk for lung cancer. In the early stages, lung cancer typically has no symptoms.

As lung cancer progresses, some signs and symptoms include:

• A new cough that doesn't go away
• Changes in a chronic cough
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Losing weight without trying
• Bone pain
• Headache

How Can I Reduce Other Risk Factors For Lung Cancer?

The best way to reduce the risk of lung cancer is to not smoke and to avoid secondhand smoke. The good news is that progress in smoking cessation is now being seen in declining lung cancer rates and mortality in men in the United States.

There are a number of effective smoking cessation programs, including the Aspire Tobacco Free program at Franciscan Health. Franciscan Health also offers current and former smokers a $49 lung scan to help in early detection of lung cancer.

Smoking cessation dramatically decreases the risk of lung cancer. The reduction in risk becomes evident within five years and a progressive decline in risk is seen as the duration of nonsmoking grows.

Studies show that former smokers who had been abstinent for more than 15 years had an 80 to 90 percent reduction in the risk of lung cancer compared with a current smoker, and adults who quit smoking gained six to 10 years of life expectancy.

HealthDay News contributed information to this article.