Quitting Smoking: Does Quitting Reduce My Risk of Lung Cancer?

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Does Quitting Reduce My Risk of Lung Cancer?
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• 85 of all lung cancer cases are related to
  smoking.¹
• The risk of death from all causes drops
  significantly after quitting. After 20 years, the
  risk level is similar to that of nonsmokers.²
• In a study of referred lung cancer patients,
  researchers found that 77 of them had smoked at
  some point, but 66 of them had quit an average
  of 18 years ago.³ Seemingly, lung cancer rates
  among former smokers did not improve as much as
  other risks did.

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• Smoking can have some long-term ramifications.
• Chronic inflammation of the airways can lead to
  scarring that will remain long after quitting,
  especially in longtime smokers.
• Permanent damage to the air sacs of the lungs and
  blood vessels can make it harder to exchange
  oxygen for carbon dioxide. This condition is
  known as emphysema.
• Even if most damage is reversed, the lungs tend
  to be more susceptible to future issues like
  pneumonia or bronchitis.4

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• Along with lung cancer, smoking is known to be a
  factor in 15 other kinds of cancer
• Stomach
• Mouth, throat, nose and sinus
• Esophagus
• Bladder, ureter, and kidney
• Pancreas
• Liver
• Cervix and ovary
• Bowel
• Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)5
• Risks decrease significantly after quitting. Even
  if ones level of risk never returns to that of a
  nonsmoker, quitting is still the best way to
  reduce the likelihood of cancer and early death.

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• Knowing the risks, the long-term health benefits
  of quitting are profound. They include
• Reduced risk of death, many types of cancer, and
  various diseases (e.g. COPD, heart disease,
  stroke).
• Improved physical ability and quality of life, as
  well as improvement of symptoms like coughing,
  wheezing, and shortness of breath.
• In women of childbearing age, quitting improves
  fertility and reduces the risk of low birth
  weight.6

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• The FDA calls tobacco the single largest
  preventable cause of disease and death in the
  United States, regardless of type.
• Cigars and Cigarillos Depending on size, these
  can contain up to twice the tar, five times the
  carbon monoxide and 10 times the nicotine of a
  filtered cigarette.7
• Smokeless Tobacco (chew, snuff) Doesn't involve
  inhaling smoke, but poses the risk of oral cancer
  and other damage to the mouth and gums.8

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• Chest X-rays and Computed Tomography (CT) scans
  are used to get an in-depth picture of the lungs.
  A radiologist then reviews these images to
  identify abnormalities and share findings with an
  oncologist.
• Researchers estimate that lung cancer screenings
  could lower the national rate of lung cancer
  death by as much as 20.9
• Individuals who started young and/or smoked
  heavily for many years should have an annual
  screening for at least 15 years.

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• Always consult your physician if you have any
  concerns about your health. Below are a few
  general guidelines to consider
• If you're between 55 and 85 years of age and have
  smoked for at least 30 pack years (number of
  years smoked times number of packs per day).
• If you're experiencing new or worsening
  respiratory symptoms, especially if you're
  coughing up blood.
• If you aren't sure whether you need a screening,
  try the risk questionnaire at https//shouldiscree
  n.com/English/lung-cancer-risk-calculator.

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Crystal Run Healthcare is a New York provider of
more than 50 types of specialty medical care.
Throughout the Hudson Valley and lower Catskill
regions, patients turn to our providers for
everything from primary health care and chronic
condition monitoring to cancer screenings and
urgent treatment. Ready to find an oncologist or
primary care physician in your area? Visit us
online to easily book an appointment with many of
our physicians or contact us if you need
additional assistance. 
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1. https//www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/articles-an
   d-answers/wellbeing/former-smokers-whats-your-risk
   -for-lung-cancer
2. https//www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20080
   506/quit-smoking-death-risk-drops-fast1
3. https//www.verywellhealth.com/risk-of-lung-cancer
   -in-former-smokers-3971884
4. http//content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599
   ,1819144,00.html
5. https//www.cancercouncil.com.au/blog/there-are-16
   -cancers-that-can-be-caused-by-smoking/
6. https//www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_s
   heets/cessation/quitting/index.htm
7. https//www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/u
   cm392735.htm
8. https//www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacc
   o-and-cancer/smokeless-tobacco.html
9. https//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC37099
   36/