Smoking kills. There are no two ways about it. In a perfect world, that would be enough to motivate smokers to kick the potentially deadly habit and deter would-be smokers from giving the habit a chance to stick. According to the American Lung Association, smoking alone contributes to 80% of lung cancer deaths in women and 90% in men. To put it another way, men who smoke are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer, while women are 13 times more likely, compared to non-smokers.
As with many things in life, we are largely responsible for our own health. We can make wise choices or reckless ones. To smoke or not to smoke is a prime example. We can get screened for various diseases and catch them before it's too late, or not. But, if a smoking addiction has you in its clutches, why wouldn't you choose to be empowered by the option of being screened? Early detection saves lives.
If you don't believe kicking the habit is within your reach, whether or not you've attempted to quit, consider some more facts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or 1 of every 5 deaths.
Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. About 80% of lung cancer deaths are the result of smoking. Although it is also possible to contract lung cancer without ever having touched a cigarette, the risk is infinitely higher for those who smoke. And, the longer you smoke, the more "pack years" you log, which increases your chances of becoming a statistic.
It's a myth that smoking cigars, pipes, low-tar or "light" cigarettes are any safer. Menthol cigarettes are considered worse because the menthol makes it easier to more deeply inhale the toxic chemicals. Second-hand smoke can prove just as hazardous if you happen to live and breathe is a smoker's presence. While there is no smoke or tar involved in smoking e-cigarettes or vaping, there are often chemicals like formaldehyde or diacetyl present. Because diacetyl has been found in the butter flavoring of microwave popcorn, the condition it causes, bronchiolitis, earned the nickname "popcorn lung," which damages the smallest airways in the lungs, causing a cough and shortness of breath.
So, how do you know if you should be screened? If you are age 55-74, in fairly good health, have been smoking a pack a day for 30 years and have either quit smoking in the last 15 years, or still smoke, you should get screened. Trinitas offers a lung cancer screening using a low-dose, non-invasive CT scan that can be completed within about 30 seconds. If you think you match the criteria, click here to learn more about getting screened.
"It is unfortunate that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US," says Dr. Barry Levinson, Medical Director of the Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Cigarette smoking remains the single most common predisposing factor in the development of lung cancer. Patients who have been heavy smokers are appropriate candidates for screening with low dose CT scans of the chest designed to detect early stage lung cancers, which are more easily treated and cured, before the tumors become symptomatic."
Click here to find out how new technology has made a big difference in how pulmonologists help their patients with lung cancer.
Contact Information
Doug Harris
908-994-5138
dharris@trinitas.org
Yolanda Fleming
908-994-5139
Yfleming@trinitas.org