Last Updated on March 6, 2024 by Partha Protim Choudhury
Smoking, whether in the form of cigarettes, cigars, beedis, hookahs, or other tobacco products, poses a grave threat to smokers. Non-smokers are also at threat due to exposure to secondhand smoke. Beyond its addictive nature, smoking is intricately linked to a myriad of health complications. In this article, we talk about the percentage of smokers who get cancer and more.
Why are smokers at a higher risk of developing cancer?
When people smoke a cigarette, around 7,000 chemicals reach the lungs, from where they are absorbed in the blood and reach other organs. Out of 7,000 chemicals, a minimum of 70 have cancer-causing properties. These chemicals damage DNA in the cells. As a result, these cells grow out of control and can form tumours.
Additionally, the toxins from cigarette smoke weaken the body’s immune system. As a result, it is difficult for the immune cells to kill the uncontrollably multiplying cancer cells.
Do smokers always get cancer?
The lifetime risk of lung cancer in smokers is high. Almost 9 out of 10 lung cancer-related deaths occur due to cigarette smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. Smoking is responsible for 55% of global lung cancer deaths in women and 70% of global lung cancer deaths in men.
There are other causes of lung cancer, such as exposure to radon, asbestos, air pollution, cooking fumes, genetic mutations, and oestrogen levels. Moreover, studies state that there may be cases when non-smokers develop lung cancer and smokers do not. Smokers would have more DNA mutations than non-smokers. However, those mutations may not always be cancer-causing. On the other hand, the limited mutations in non-smokers may create cancer.
Not only lung cancer, but a high percentage of smokers who get cancer, are likely to develop other cancers as well:
- Gastrointestinal cancers like cancers of the colon, rectum, oesophagus, pancreas, and stomach
- Blood cancers
- Cancers of the bladder and cervix
- Mouth, throat, and larynx cancer
- Cancers of kidneys, liver, and renal pelvis
Can smokers save themselves from cancer?
The percentage of smokers who get lung cancer is high. Lung cancer can be preventable. If smokers quit cigarette smoking, then there can be a prevention of 9 out of 10 cases of lung cancer. The benefits of quitting smoking are visible immediately. The heart rate reduces after 20 minutes of quitting smoking. The lung function and blood circulation increase in 2-12 weeks. In 1 to 9 months, ex-smokers have less coughing and shortness of breath.
The risk of developing lung cancer in an ex-smoker reduces to half within 10-15 years. Not only lung cancer, but ex-smokers can save themselves from other cancers as well. Within 20 years, the chances of getting mouth, throat, voice box, or pancreas cancer for an ex-smoker become the same as those for a non-smoker. Thus, the percentage of ex-smokers who get lung cancer can decrease by quitting smoking. It is not easy to quit smoking, but neither is it impossible. Smokers can depend on doctors, nurses, and dentists to recommend medications that may help them quit smoking. People who smoke may adjust their environment to distract themselves, like owning a pet. They can seek support from their family, friends, and colleagues. They may even seek professional counselling to keep them motivated and teach them coping skills.
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