Dr. Sanderson shares the relationship between secondhand smoke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Dr. Sanderson:
Yes, secondhand smoke is a significant contributor to development of lung disease, both obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis and it’s also a contributing factor in lung cancer development.
Women can develop lung cancers from secondhand smoke. It’s estimated that there are probably 3,000 individuals per year who develop lung cancer as a result of secondhand smoke and women are not immune. If their parents smoked when they were growing up and if their spouses smoke, that is indeed a contributing factor and a hazard that they need to try to avoid.
About Dr. Sanderson, M.D.:
Dr. David R. Sanderson, M.D., practices at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializing in pulmonary care. Dr. Sanderson attended the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. He completed his residency and fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Visit Dr. Sanderson at Mayo Clinic