Experts Say Frequent Use of a Wood Fireplace Could Raise Lung Cancer Risk

As temperatures fall and the days grow shorter, many people settle into the comforts of the colder months: warm blankets, hot drinks, good books, and more time spent indoors. For a lot of families, that seasonal routine is part of what makes home feel especially inviting.

Still, spending more time inside also means paying closer attention to the air in your home. When people think about cancer risk, they often focus on factors outside their control, such as genetics or family history. But everyday habits and environmental exposures can matter too.

Lung cancer is a clear example. Smoking remains its leading risk factor, but the CDC says an estimated 10% to 20% of people diagnosed with lung cancer each year have never smoked or have smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lives. That means other exposures can play a significant role.

Oncologists are now warning about one common source of cold-weather comfort that may increase risk if it is used too often. Before you make it part of your regular routine, here is what experts want people to know.

The Home Feature Doctors Say Could Add to Cancer Risk

The concern centers on wood-burning fireplaces, especially when they are used frequently.

Evidence supports that worry. A 2023 study in Environment International tracked more than 50,000 U.S. women enrolled in the National Institutes of Health’s Sister Study for about 11 years on average. Women who used a wood-burning fireplace or stove at least 30 days a year had a 68% higher rate of lung cancer than women who did not have one. More frequent use was also linked to lung cancer among women who had never smoked, likely because wood smoke contains known and suspected carcinogens.

“Cancer is caused by damage to normal cells that cannot be repaired, so the cells lose control and continue to grow, causing failure of critical organs, such as the lungs and liver,” Dr. Kotiah said.

Ways to Use a Fireplace More Safely

The encouraging news is that you do not have to eliminate fireplace use entirely. The key issue is overuse. The oncologists Parade spoke with advised limiting exposure to campfires and not making repeated fires in a wood-burning fireplace, which matches the study’s finding that lung cancer risk rose as indoor wood-burning became more frequent.

“Avoid inhaling or being around someone actively smoking,” Dr. Hiatt said. “Be proactive in minimizing exposure to other forms of smoke.”

In practical terms, that could mean reserving fires for occasional use instead of turning them into a nightly habit, and staying away from smoke when sitting near a backyard fire pit or campfire. If you are concerned about your lung cancer risk because of smoke exposure, family history, or another factor, ask your doctor whether screening is appropriate for you.

Adapted from Parade’s Oncologists Are Begging People To Take This One Common Cancer Risk Factor Seriously by Beth Ann Mayer.

Sources:

• Dr. Bradley Hiatt, DO, Oncologist, Mission Cancer + Blood

• Dr. Sandy Kotiah, MD, Director, The Neuroendocrine Tumor Center at Mercy

• Indoor wood-burning from stoves and fireplaces and incident lung cancer among Sister Study participants. Environment International. 2023.

• Lung Cancer Among People Who Never Smoked. CDC