November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and Iowa is among the states with a high rate of the disease.

Dallas County Health Department Community Educator Natalie Del Vecchio draws attention to the alarming figures that Iowa has overall for lung cancer.

“So, Iowa has a higher lung cancer rate than the national average, which is pretty concerning, and we also have a higher than national average smoking rate and high levels of radon. So this is concerning because tobacco use and radon exposure are two of the most common risk factors for lung cancer.”

Del Vecchio mentions that some of the risk factors that can contribute to lung cancer include exposure to second-hand smoke and other air carcinogens like asbestos and general air pollution, having a family history of lung cancer, frequent radiation therapy of the lungs and abdomen and chronic health issues such as COPD. She points out another contributor to lung cancer can be radon, which is a colorless and odorless gas that is typically found inside homes. 

Del Vecchio suggests getting a radon test kit from the American Lung website because this is the best way to determine if your home has radon and then you can take steps to mitigate it if the levels are too high. She adds that Quit Line Iowa is a free service for individuals who want to quit smoking and it can be customized.