Cigarette smoking and lung cancer come hand and hand

Millions of people smoke, one in five American adults to be exact. 1 in 2 lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing an estimated 438,000 deaths or about 1 out of every 5 deaths each year. Smoking reduced life expectancy by 14 years. Men who smoke are 10 times more likely to die (93.1 out of 100,000 men each year) from lung cancer than any other racial and ethnic group. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. With all the cessation resources available and the smoke-free laws in place across the country, there has never been a better time to quit smoking and enjoy the many health benefits. People who quit smoking, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke. Quitting also substantially decreases the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder, and cervical cancers. It also reduces your risk of various cardiovascular diseases- including a heart attack- and lung diseases like emphysema. Smoking is responsible for 90% of cancer deaths incidence of lung cancer is rising. Lung cancer is responsible for more cancer deaths than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer combined. Lung cancer primarily strikes people over age 45. By the time that an individual develops symptoms, spread has usually occurred. Lung cancer is directly related to smoking. Over 40 carcinogens have been identified in cigarette smoke. The risk of developing lung cancer is directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked. The change in consumption from unfiltered high tar cigarettes to filtered low tar cigarettes parallels the change in incidence from squamous cell carcinoma to adenocarcinoma. There is a long interval between quitting smoking and elimination of lung cancer risk. Up to 40% of newly diagnosed lung cancer occurs in former smokers.