Warning: Using one cleaning agent is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes,
Cleaning agent aerosol particles are also a form of air pollution.
Lung cancer, also known as the "silent killer," often exhibits no obvious symptoms in its early stages, leading to late-stage cancer discovery. Dr. Su Yifeng, a pulmonologist, warns that developing lung cancer is not solely related to smoking; factors such as family inheritance, cooking oil fumes, and air pollution can also contribute. Even the use of chemical cleaning agents during household cleaning exposes the lungs to a large amount of toxic substances, with the potential harm equating to smoking 20 cigarettes daily.
A case was shared by Dr. Su, involving a patient who lost their mother to lung cancer. Fearing a genetic predisposition, the patient sought medical examination, revealing their own early-stage lung cancer. Fortunately, timely surgical intervention was possible. However, it is disheartening that the patient's nonsmoking, nondrinking brother, who regularly exercised, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer after a check-up.
Dr. Su emphasizes that 60% of lung cancer patients in Taiwan neither smoke nor have exposure to secondhand smoke. However, factors like family genetics, cooking oil fumes, and air pollution are often overlooked contributors to lung cancer. To prevent lung cancer, avoiding air pollution, not smoking, and minimizing exposure to kitchen fumes are fundamental measures. Additionally, attention should be given to electronic devices in workplaces or homes, such as printers, air fryers, and electric grills, which emit a substantial amount of harmful PM2.5 particulate matter.
A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine indicated that using chemical cleaning agents like bleach or ammonia at home can damage lung function, with the impairment level equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes daily.
Dr. Su urges that if a family member is diagnosed with lung cancer, screening for lung cancer should be conducted ten years earlier than the age at which the family member received the diagnosis. Early screening is crucial for prevention and treatment. If a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan reveals a clean and problem-free lung with no nodules, it is considered relatively safe, and subsequent screenings can be scheduled every few years.
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