Overall, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Latinos.
Lung cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer within this population. Because of their traditionally lower rates of cigarette smoking, lung cancer rates are approximately 50 percent lower for Latinos than for Whites, and 60 percent lower than African Americans.
In 2002, 16.7 percent of Latino adults smoked compared to 24 percent of non-Hispanic Whites. Latino adults smoke less than all racial/ethnic groups, except for Asians. This is mainly due to the very small proportion of Latino women who reported smoking.
Occupational lung disease is the number one cause of work-related illness in the United States in terms of frequency, severity and preventability. Data show that Latinos are more likely to be employed in high-risk occupations (textile, building service, construction, farming, forestry and fishing industries) than any other race or ethnic group.
