Indoor wood burning raises women’s lung cancer risk by 43%, says US study

Gas or propane heating in stoves and fireplaces was also associated with an increased lung cancer risk, but this was far smaller than that from wood burning. Photograph: lolostock/Alamy

Using an indoor wood stove or fireplace increases women’s risk of developing lung cancer by 43% compared with those that do not use wood heating, according to a US study.

In the UK, one in 13 men and one in 15 women born after 1960 are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer during their lifetimes. In the US it is one in 16 men and one in 17 women.