Lung Cancer Rates High In RI, Study Shows

Rhode Island has the 15^th highest rate of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases in the nation, though the smoking rate is about average, according to a new national study from the American Lung Association.

The association projects that more than 800 Rhode Islanders will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year. The rate of the disease is higher than the national average and higher than every other New England state except for Maine.

“We do know that tobacco use is the primary cause of lung cancer,’’ Jennifer L. Wall, the association’s director of health education and public policy in Rhode Island. “There’s other factors that impact the lung cancer rate too, which includes radon. And we know that radon is a major issue in Rhode Island.”

Radon is a gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock and can seep into buildings. It’s found more often in New England than other parts of the country. (Home testing kits can be purchased online from the American Lung Association.)

Rhode Island also ranked among the top states in the country for early diagnoses, screenings, early diagnoses and survival rates.