Long-term exposure to air pollution significantly increases the risk of developing and dying from cancer, according to a new global report by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
The Union for International Cancer Control has warned that polluted air is a growing public health threat, revealing in its report titled “Clean Air in Cancer Control: An Overview of the Evidence” that prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) raises cancer risk by 11 percent and cancer-related deaths by 12 percent. The report, supported by the Clean Air Fund, also found increased risks across specific cancers, including a 20 percent rise in breast cancer mortality, 14 percent for liver cancer, and 12 percent for lung cancer, while larger particles (PM10) were linked to a 10 percent higher cancer risk and 13 percent increased lung cancer mortality.
Speaking on the findings, UICC Chief Executive Officer Cary Adams said, “We have made huge strides in reducing deaths from cancer, but polluted air is silently undermining that progress. It is a risk people cannot opt out of and one that disproportionately affects women, children and people living in poverty.” The report further noted that women exposed to household air pollution face a 69 percent higher risk of lung cancer, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where limited healthcare access worsens outcomes.
Also commenting, Nina Renshaw of the Clean Air Fund stressed the urgency of intervention, stating, “Cleaner air is essential to both cancer prevention and improving survival. Without it, decades of investment in cancer research and treatment will be undermined.” The report estimated that air pollution contributes to about 434,000 lung cancer deaths globally each year and called on governments to enforce emission standards, adopt clean energy solutions, and strengthen air quality monitoring to curb the growing health crisis.
READ THE FULL STORY IN TRIBUNE