Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death1 among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

In addition, lung cancer is more prevalent2 among American Indians/Alaska Natives who live in the Northern and Southern plains, compared to non-Hispanic White people.

Smoking causes most lung cancers, along with secondhand smoke, asbestos, and radon gas exposure. People who worked in uranium mines3 are also at risk of lung cancer.

Smoking can not only cause cancer, but it can also be prohibitive4 in allowing your body to fight cancer. Cancer may also start in the lungs and then spread to other areas of the body.

Lung cancer
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Jonathan Bricker
PhD,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Since the early 1980s, American Indians and Alaska Natives have maintained the highest rates of commercial cigarette smoking of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S., due to tobacco industry practices and government policies… Commercial cigarette smoking now accounts for half of all deaths of these people nationwide.

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A Higher Risk for Cancer

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In most U.S. regions, American Indians and Alaska Natives are more likely7 than White people to get the following cancers:

Liver

Stomach

Kidney

Lung

Colorectal

Female Breast

Additionally, Native American men are diagnosed with cancer at higher rates than Native American women.

23 more likely
129 more likely

Native American men are 23% more likely to have lung cancer and 129% more likely to have liver cancer than Native American women.
Source: CDC7

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Smoking Doesn’t Only Cause Lung Cancer

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Exposure to commercial tobacco smoke is associated with 126 cancer types, including the following:

Tobacco Use
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cancer lungs

Lung cancer

risks increase with smoking. In fact, 90 percent4 of lung cancers are attributable to smoking.
cancer colorectal

Colorectal cancer

risk increases with tobacco use. While this cancer is common, it can lead to death.
cancer Cervical

Cervical cancer

is more common in women over the age of 30. Women who smoke double their chances8 of being diagnosed with cervical cancer, as tobacco use damages the DNA of cervix cells.
cancer breast

Breast cancer

risk increases by 10 percent9 in women who
currently smoke and have smoked more than 10 years.
cancer liver

Liver cancer

risk increases with smoking cigarettes.
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Resources

References

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37898186/#:~:text=Abstract,all%20other%20races%20and%20ethnicities
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/research/cancer-in-american-indian-and-alaska-native-people.html#:~:text=The%20difference%20ranged%20from%2023,%2C%20Southwest%2C%20and%20Northern%20Plains
  3. https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/ntp/roc/content/profiles/ionizingradiation.pdf
  4. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/features/lung-cancer.html#:~:text=Lung%20cancer%20is%20the%20leading,different%20symptoms%20for%20lung%20cancer
  5. https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2023/10/smoking-cessation-trial-american-indians-alaska-natives-funded.html#:~:text=According%20to%20data%2C%2027%25%20of,related%20cancers%2C%20including%20lung%20cancer.
  6. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/hcp/patient-care-settings/cancer.html#:~:text=Smoking%20causes%2012%20types%20of,smoke%20exposure%20causes%20lung%20cancer.
  7. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/research/cancer-in-american-indian-and-alaska-native-people.html#:~:text=Compared%20to%20White%20women%2C%20Native,more%20likely%20for%20liver%20cancer
  8. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/cervical-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html#:~:text=Women%20who%20smoke%20are%20about,the%20development%20of%20cervical%20cancer
  9. https://www.komen.org/breast-cancer/facts-statistics/research-studies/topics/smoking-and-breast-cancer-risk/#:~:text=Women%20who%20are%20current%20smokers,increased%20risk%20of%20breast%20cancer