The Relationship between Cancer Alley, Louisiana and Lung Cancer

What is cancer alley?

Cancer Alley is an 85-mile stretch of land in Louisiana located between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Cancer Alley, also known as ‘Death Valley,’ has the highest rate of air pollution-caused cancer in the United States, nearly 50 times the national average (Terry, 2020). This region is full of hundreds of petrochemical plants that emit smoke and chemicals into the air daily. An estimated fifty toxic chemicals, including benzene, formaldehyde, and ethylene oxide, circulate in the air constantly (Learn About Hazardous Chemicals & Air Pollutants, 2021). This area contributes to poor physical, mental, and social health outcomes for all who live within it when compared to the nation as a whole.

History of Cancer Alley:

On April 30, 1803, the US purchased 828,000 square miles of land for $15 million from France, known as the Louisiana Purchase. As the US continued to buy land and expand westward of the Mississippi, it created a rift between the North and South concerning the abolition of slavery. After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, colonists destructively cleared ancient bottomland hardwood forests and cypress swamps along the banks of the lower Mississippi River to establish indigo and sugarcane plantations (Cancer Alley, 2020). Centuries-old plantation locations have been replaced by commercial chemical industries that have relentlessly poisoned the population and created many life-threatening illnesses (Addish, 2021). The previous location of cornfields and sugar cane plantations now has 140 petrochemical plants producing intoxicating air pollution, resulting in an above-average number of cancer diagnoses.

Health Impacts of lung cancer:

With the high prevalence of chemicals in the air, there is an increased risk of lung cancer for all who reside in Cancer Alley. This involves a variety of short- and long-term health impacts related to cancer. Short-term impacts of air pollution most often are linked to respiratory distress and other related issues. “Short-term exposure to air pollutants is closely related to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, asthma, respiratory disease, and high rates of hospitalization (a measurement of morbidity)” (Manisalidis et al., 2020). Long-term impacts of air pollution are most often linked to chronic respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. “The long-term effects associated with air pollution are chronic asthma, pulmonary insufficiency, cardiovascular diseases, and cardiovascular mortality. According to a Swedish cohort study, diabetes seems to be induced after long-term air pollution exposure” (Manisalidis et al., 2020). All of these health outcomes are strongly connected with the environmental hazards prevalent within the Cancer Alley region.

How lung cancer develops:

Like other forms of cancer, lung cancer starts by a mutation or series of mutations in the DNA of cells that were previously healthy. These DNA changes can lead to cancer, impacting more cells as time goes on. As a result, the cells do not carry out the proper functions, binding together and forming tumors in the lungs that are then able to potentially break away and spread to other parts of the body (Moffitt Cancer Center, 2025). This can yield fatal health outcomes and require long-term medical treatment.

Sources:

Addish, S. (2021, July 14). 1) Cancer Alley, Louisiana (1987- ) •. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/cancer-alley-louisiana-1987/

Cancer Alley. (2020, September 10). Southern Cultures. https://www.southerncultures.org/article/cancer-alley/

Learn About Hazardous Chemicals & Air Pollutants. (2021, October 18). Lung Cancer Center.

https://www.lungcancercenter.com/lung-cancer/risk-factors/hazardous-air-pollutants/ 

Manisalidis, I., Stavropoulou, E., Stavropoulos, A., & Bezirtzoglou, E. (2020). Environmental and health impacts of air pollution: A review. Frontiers in Public Health, 8(14), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00014

Moffitt Cancer Center. (2025). How Does Lung Cancer Start? Moffitt. https://www.moffitt.org/cancers/lung-cancer/faqs/how-does-lung-cancer-start/

Terry, J. (2020, August 20). Cancer Alley: Causes and Effects of the “Chemical Corridor” in Louisiana. TorHoerman Law. https://www.torhoermanlaw.com/cancer-alley-causes-and-effects-of-chemical-corridor-in-louisiana/

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