Most people's immediate assumption is that lung cancer rates are higher in populations that smoke more. The picture is more complicated than that. Smoking rates are almost the same for African American and white men – 25.5 percent compared to 23.6 percent, respectively. However, American Indian and Alaska Native men smoke at higher rates than any other group– 42.3 percent – and they are less likely to getlung cancer. Data from the mid-80s showed that white men consumed 30-40 percentmore cigarettes than African American men, which should mean their exposure to the carcinogens in cigarette smoke is higher.15 Still, more African American men develop lung cancer. (READ MORE)


