Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., making up 25% of cancer deaths. With obesity rates simultaneously rising, researchers have investigated the connections between cancer risk and body mass index (BMI). Unlike most other cancer types, where higher BMI is associated with increased risk of cancer, research has established that people with higher BMI paradoxically have lower rates of lung cancer diagnosis.

However, a recent study by. Hee-Soon Juon, Ph.D., professor of Population Science in the Department of Medical Oncology, has called this paradox into question for African Americans. Using data from over 53,000 lung cancer screenings carried out through the National Lung Screening Trial, she found that while obesity appeared to be associated with a lower risk of lung cancer in the general population, this relationship did not hold true for African Americans.

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