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Quit Smoking To Quickly Reduce Your Lung Cancer Risk

January 03, 2025

The fact that smoking increases your risk for lung cancer – the deadliest of cancers – should be no surprise. But what you may not realize is that quitting smoking can quickly reduce your risk and improve your chances of a longer life.

Of course, it’s not just your cancer risk that’s impacted. Smoking affects a wide range of organs in your body, contributing to numerous medical conditions, including:

  • Cancer in different parts of your body – not just your lungs
  • Heart disease
  • Asthma
  • Stroke
  • Lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Reproductive issues
  • Immune system issues, including rheumatoid arthritis

Why Quitting Matters

When you smoke, you inhale a mix of toxic chemicals that causes gradual damage to the tiny air sacs that help your body harvest oxygen from air. The chemical cocktail also includes cancer-causing agents known as carcinogens. These substances damage the DNA of your lung cells, leading to mutations that can eventually become cancerous.

The good news is that while much of that tissue damage is permanent, your body’s healing powers can substantially lower your cancer risk. Research even suggests that there are notable benefits within just three years for smokers who quit by the age of 40.

It is well documented that when you quit smoking, your lungs will soon look healthier, and your breathing will show improvement. Over time, your cancer risk will gradually return to a level that is much closer to that of non-smokers.

These improvements are notable enough that people who quit smoking for 15 or more years are no longer urged to get an annual lung cancer screening. There will always be some residual risk related to your smoking history, but not enough to warrant special precautions.

Strategies for Quitting

Quitting any addiction is no easy task. The first thing you need is self-motivation and a real desire to put smoking behind you. If you have these things, there are resources and strategies available to help you deal with the cravings and urges. Among them:

  • Nicotine replacement: Not everyone has the will power to quit cold turkey. You can buy nicotine gum, patches and lozenges over the counter. Or you can ask your doctor about prescription nasal sprays or inhalers.
  • Get everyone on board: If you live with other smokers, it will be much easier if everyone agrees to quit. Having a spouse or partner who continues smoking will make your task even more challenging.
  • Watch the triggers: Be careful around the places or events where you are most likely to smoke. This could be at bars, parties, work breaks or drinking your morning coffee. Figure out your triggers and then come up with a strategy to deal with them.
  • Keep you mouth busy: Resist the urge to smoke by chewing gum or having a snack – hard candy or sunflower seeds, for example – at hand.
  • Relax: Deep breathing exercises, yoga, massage or soothing music may help you deal with the stress that causes you to smoke.
  • Stick with the plan: Avoid the temptation to have “just one” to satisfy your cravings. This is an easy to find yourself smoking regularly once again.
  • Support groups: Sharing stories can help you develop new strategies by learning what has or hasn’t worked for other smokers.

Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer screenings are critically important for current and former smokers. Lung cancer is the leading cause of U.S. cancer deaths, in part, because of a lack of early detection. That translates to low survival rates, with only 19 percent of people with lung cancer living longer than five years.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a annual screening for anyone 50 years or older with a smoking history of 20 pack-years. A pack-year is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked a day by the number of years you have smoked.

A number of testing methods are available, but the recommended screening test for lung cancer is a “low-dose CT scan” (LDCT). The test uses X-rays to produce a detailed, three-dimensional image of your lungs. It’s a fast and effective (and painless) way for doctors to detect lung nodules as small as a grain of rice.

Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center is first in Central Florida to offer Zephyr Endobronchial Valve

The lung valve is the first FDA-approved device to help patients with emphysema breathe easier without major surgery.

 

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