While uncommon in developed nations, heating and cooking indoors with solid fuels contributes to an increased risk of developing lung cancer. This effect, however, is small compared to that of tobacco smoking. Researchers from the Cancer Center and M. Sklodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology in Warsaw report the results of a large study that evaluated the contribution of combustion fumes from cooking and heating at home to the development of lung cancer. Ever having used solid fuel for cooking or heating increased the odds of lung cancer by 22 percent compared with never using solid fuel for cooking or heating. It was found that those who used solid fuels for cooking throughout their lives faced an 80 percent higher risk of getting lung cancer compared with a 16 percent increase among those who had switched to modern fuels. The above data suggests a modestly increased risk of lung cancer related to solid-fuel burning in the home, possibly due to cooking rather than heating. Shifts to higher quality, low-emission fuels, such as kerosene, gas, or electricity, reduces the health impact of household use of solid fuel. IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) has just completed a study of lung cancer in several locations of India, aiming to replicate the results of the above investigation.
American Journal of Epidemiology,
August 2005