101°F
weather icon Windy

Quit smoking to reduce risk of lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States. Every year in this country, more than 200,000 cases are diagnosed, and about 150,000 people die of lung cancer. In the United States, about 7,300 people who never smoked die from lung cancer due to secondhand smoke exposure every year.

Sue, 55, grew up with a smoker in the house: her father. “I used to be very against smoking. I would do things like mark little lines on the cigarettes, break cigarettes, hide cigarettes.” But even “knowing how super bad smoking is for you,” as she says, didn’t stop her from trying one for the first time when she was 18 years old.

“I had a friend who was smoking,” Sue said. “I remember being very upset about something, and she said, ‘Here, have a cigarette. It’ll calm you down.’”

That first smoke was the start of a habit that has followed her throughout her adult life and led to a diagnosis of lung cancer. Doctors diagnosed her with stage IV cancer, which is not considered curable by doctors, though it can be managed. The cancer had spread from her lungs to her lymph nodes. She immediately started chemotherapy and went through 35 radiation treatments, as well. Despite a positive attitude, she says the treatment was very hard. At one point, she thought, “I can’t even walk another step.”

When Sue was diagnosed, she had unusual symptoms, including fluid collecting around her heart. Many times, for smokers, lung cancer has few symptoms until it is very advanced.

For people who are 55-80 years old and are heavy smokers (at least 30 pack years; for example, one pack per day for 30 years), or for people in that age range who were heavy smokers but have quit within the past 15 years, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends getting screened every year with a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. Screening can catch lung cancer when the tumor is still small or has not spread, offering more options for treatment.

Screening has benefits and potential harms. If a suspected cancer is found, that can lead to invasive tests like biopsies, which can cause infections, bleeding and collapsed lungs. People who are considering being screened for lung cancer should make a decision together with their doctors or nurses. Fortunately, resources are available for patients and their health care providers that help them have an informed discussion and decide together.

The best way to reduce your risk of getting lung cancer is to never start smoking. For people who do smoke, quitting is their best chance to avoid lung cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.

Sue, who is on her fourth year of maintenance chemotherapy, urges people to understand that smoking is an addiction to tobacco products. “Don’t start, ever. Don’t start smoking,” she said, adding, “but if you already have, quit using whatever works for you.”

In the United States, smoking is linked to about 80 percent to 90 percent of all lung cancers. People who smoke cigarettes are 15-30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die of lung cancer than people who don’t smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day, the more the risk goes up.

Risk goes down after quitting, and it is never too late to quit. Even after people are diagnosed with cancer, quitting can help treatments work better, reduce the risk of the cancer returning and improve the health and quality of life of former smokers.

For help quitting, visit smokefree.gov, call 1 800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669), or text “quit” to 47848 from your cellphone.

To Your Health is provided by the staff of Boulder City Hospital. For more information, call 702-293-4111, ext. 576, or visit bouldercityhospital.org.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Council confusion: The leash law saga continues

Three statements — notably, none of them from members of the city council — best illustrated the difficulties residents (both dog-loving and not) have had for at least four years when it comes to the issue of off-leash dogs in public parks.

Breeding in BC? Probably not

Unlike the discussion later in the meeting Tuesday night in which the city council appeared determined to make sure no one was angry at them about the issue of off-leash dogs, they directed staff to take very strong action on the issue of pet breeding.

Lifejacket donations aim to save lives

Greg Bell’s memory lives on by way of a generous donation that may saves lives.

Huge crowd turns out to honor Patton

It was brought up during Saturday’s unveiling of the Shane Patton Memorial Monument as to why Shane’s statue stands 11 feet tall.

Disaster in China affects Damboree fireworks show

As the city prepares for Damboree, one of our biggest celebrations of the year, a tragedy in China is having an impact on the annual fireworks show.

City Celebrates First Responders

Photos courtesy City of Boulder City

Toll Brothers gets split decision

The development of the area near Boulder Creek Golf Course known as Tract 350 (the sale of which is slated to pay for the majority of the planned replacement for the aging municipal pool) may have hit a snag last week as the planning commission voted 5-1 to deny the developers’ request to build houses closer to the street than is allowed under current law.