May 17, 2022 04:08 PM
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/05/...109/?u3L=1
INTRO: Wildfires, like the one raging in New Mexico, are known to cause upticks in breathing issues and heart attacks in their immediate wake for folks who live nearby. Now, new Canadian research shows that these fires may also increase the risk for lung and brain cancer over time.
People who lived within about 30 miles of wildfires over the prior 10 years were 10% more likely to develop brain cancer and had a 5% higher risk for lung cancer, compared to folks living further away from these fires.
"We saw a consistent signal for lung and brain cancer risk among people who live near wildfires," said study author Scott Weichenthal, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University in Montreal. "We know that a whole range of carcinogens are released during wildfires that may increase the risk for these cancers." (MORE - details)
INTRO: Wildfires, like the one raging in New Mexico, are known to cause upticks in breathing issues and heart attacks in their immediate wake for folks who live nearby. Now, new Canadian research shows that these fires may also increase the risk for lung and brain cancer over time.
People who lived within about 30 miles of wildfires over the prior 10 years were 10% more likely to develop brain cancer and had a 5% higher risk for lung cancer, compared to folks living further away from these fires.
"We saw a consistent signal for lung and brain cancer risk among people who live near wildfires," said study author Scott Weichenthal, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University in Montreal. "We know that a whole range of carcinogens are released during wildfires that may increase the risk for these cancers." (MORE - details)