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A 28-year-old female asked:

Burnt cashew nut on stove and it went black. i was cooking food at same time and strong burning smell from the nut. inhaled for about 1 hour - food cooking for same amount of time. have i ingested and can this cause lung cancer?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Amrita Dosanjh
Pediatric Allergy and Asthma 38 years experience
The smoke may irritate the lining of your throat and upper airway, but no long term damage is likely. Keep a window open, ventilate the kitchen. Watch for signs of shortness of breath,cough and fever.
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Dr. Gurmukh Singh
Pathology 51 years experience
Lung cancer is not a risk from what you described. As long as there was no immediate respiratory symptoms like cough, feeling of choking, you are okay. You can reduce your risk of cancer : Eat a mostly vegetarian diet, avoid alcohol, tobacco and street drugs, avoid excessive exposure to sun, get HPV vaccine, exercise 30 minutes each day, drink enough water so your urine is mostly colorless.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Jan 10, 2022

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