Lung cancerCancerSmoking cessation

6 ways to help lower your risk of lung cancer

In addition to quitting tobacco, there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing this common cancer.


LearnCancerLung cancer6 ways to help lower your risk of lung cancer
Quit smoking
Test your home for radon
Limit chemical exposure
Choose healthy foods
Stay active
Maintain a healthy weight
Consider screenings

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Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among men and women in the United States. But it’s the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, by far. More than 120,000 people in the U.S. die of lung cancer each year.

While certain factors, like your genes, don’t fall under your control, there’s are steps you can take to help lower your risk of lung cancer.

Sources: American Cancer Society. Key Statistics ... + 16
  1. American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Lung Cancer. January 16, 2025.
  2. American Lung Association. Health Effects of Smoking. November 20, 2024.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lung Cancer: Lung Cancer Risk Factors. February 13, 2025.
  4. National Cancer Institute. Secondhand Smoke and Cancer. December 4, 2018.
  5. American Cancer Society. Lung Cancer Risk Factors. January 29, 2024.
  6. American Cancer Society. Radon and Cancer. November 1, 2022.
  7. United States Environmental Protection Agency. What is EPA's Action Level for Radon and What Does it Mean? December 2, 2024.
  8. Vieira AR, Abar L, et al, vegetables and lung cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Oncol. 2016 Jan;27(1):81-96.
  9. Wang C, Yang T, et al. The Associations of Fruit and Vegetable Intake with Lung Cancer Risk in Participants with Different Smoking Status: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Nutrients. 2019;11(8).
  10. American Cancer Society. Can Lung Cancer Be Prevented? January 29, 2024.
  11. American Lung Association. Nutrition and Lung Cancer. November 5, 2024.
  12. Liu Y, Li Y, et al. Association Between Physical Activity and Lower Risk of Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. Front Oncol. 2019 Jan 22;9:5.
  13. National Cancer Institute. Physical Activity and Cancer. February 10, 2020.
  14. Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source: Staying Active. December 2022.
  15. Moore SC, Lee I-M, Weiderpass E, et al. Association of Leisure-Time Physical Activity With Risk of 26 Types of Cancer in 1.44 Million Adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(6):816-825.
  16. Yu D, Zheng W, Johansson M, et al. Overall and central obesity and risk of lung cancer: A pooled analysis. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2018;110(8):831-842.
  17. US Preventive Services Task Force, Krist AH, Davidson KW, et al. Screening for lung cancer. JAMA. 2021;325(10):962.
Written by Kerry Weiss.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.March, 2025
Updated onOctober, 2026
Written by Kerry Weiss.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.March, 2025
Updated onOctober, 2026
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