Important Facts About Lung Cancer & Tobacco Smoking

Children are taught from elementary school age that smoking is bad. The list of side effects is a long one, and one of the most deadly of those is lung cancer. But just what are the facts in the relationship between tobacco smoking and lung cancer?
The facts are startling, and speak for themselves when it comes to encouraging people to think twice about lighting up.

Ratio

• Smoking tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for almost nine out of every 10 cases. Lung cancer is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.

"Safe" smoking

• Cigars, pipe tobacco and light cigarettes are often marketed as safer than the tobacco found in regular cigarettes. This isn't true--the risk of developing lung cancer is the same regardless of the form.

Secondhand smoke and lung cancer

• Smoking also increases friends' and family members' risk of developing lung cancer. Estimates say that approximately 3,000 people die each year after developing lung cancer as a result of secondhand smoke.

Immediate cause

• The chemicals in tobacco have been shown to directly damage the DNA in lung cells that are responsible for controlling the growth of new cells. Once this DNA is damaged, healthy cells turn cancerous and begin to grow out of control.

On the decrease

• Thanks to anti-smoking campaigns, stricter laws making it more difficult for minors to buy cigarettes and educational programs, the number of smokers in the United States has decreased over the past 15 years. Cases of lung cancer have also decreased.

Quitting

• Smoking for years isn't a death sentence. Damaged lung tissue can slowly regrow itself--if a smoker quits before she receives a cancer diagnosis, damage that has been done can be repaired by a strong body and hardy lungs.