Prevention

There may be several ways to reduce your risk of developing lung cancer.

Don’t Smoke

Tobacco use is the major cause of lung cancer in the United States. About 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in women in this country are due to smoking. The most important thing a person can do to prevent lung cancer is to not start smoking, or to quit if he or she currently smokes.

Quitting smoking will lower risk of lung cancer compared to not quitting. This is true no matter how old one is or how much he or she smokes. The longer a person goes without smoking, the more his or her risk will improve compared to those who continue to smoke. However, the risk in people who have quit is still higher than the risk in people who have never smoked. For more information, visit Quit Smoking. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

CDC helps support a national network of quitlines that makes free "quit smoking" support available by telephone to smokers anywhere in the United States. The toll-free number is 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669), or visit smokefree.gov.

For smokers, avoiding other things that increase risk for lung cancer may help lower risk, but not as much as quitting smoking.

Avoid Secondhand Smoke

CDC's Office of Smoking and Health has information about secondhand smoke.

Make Your Home and Workplace Safer

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that all homes be tested for radon. Radon detectors can be purchased or arrangements can be made for qualified testers to come into the home. Visit EPA's radon Web site for more information about radon and radon testing.⁷

Health and safety guidelines in the workplace can help workers avoid things that can cause cancer (carcinogens).

Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables

Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables may help protect against lung cancer. For more information, visit Fruits & Veggies - More Matters.

References

¹International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans and their Supplements: A complete list. Tobacco Smoking. Monograph Volume 38 (1986).

²International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans and their Supplements: A complete list. Tobacco Smoking and Tobacco Smoke Volume 83 (PDF-48KB) (2002).

³U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service (1964).

⁴U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2001 Surgeon General's Report: Women and Smoking.

⁵Alberg AJ, Samet JM. Epidemiology of lung cancer. Chest 2003;123(1 Suppl):21S–49S.

⁶Institute of Medicine (IOM) National Cancer Policy Board. Fulfilling the Potential of Cancer Prevention and Early Detection. Curry SJ, Byers T, Hewitt M (eds). National Academies Press. Washington, D.C., 2003.

⁷U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor Air Quality: Radon.