Quitting Smoking Even After Diagnosing Lung Cancer Effects Lifespan

It has been demonstrated once again with a published study that quitting smoking is beneficial even if you are diagnosed with lung cancer. Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Banu Musaffa Salepçi said that with this research carried out on smokers diagnosed with lung cancer, it has been shown once again that smoking cessation has a significant impact on quality of life and loss of life, even if cancer is diagnosed.

A study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization and published in the journal "Annals of Internal Medicine" found that those who quit smoking after being diagnosed with lung cancer lived healthier and longer. Yeditepe University Hospitals Chest Diseases Specialist prof. Dr. Banu Musaffa Salepçi, pointing out that lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world and our country, with the highest death toll,  evaluated the study of 517 smokers diagnosed with lung cancer.

Increases Lung Cancer Risk 50-fold

Reminding that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by approximately 50 times. Prof. Dr. Banu Musaffa Salepçi said, “The most important point in the prevention of lung cancer is to avoid smoking. For this reason, we recommend all our patients diagnosed with lung cancer stop smoking immediately if they smoke. Explaining that many people who have the disease think that they are too late to quit smoking, Prof. Salepçi spoke that; “However, continuing to smoke when cancer is diagnosed, increases the likelihood of developing second cancer as long as the patient is alive. It also reduces the patient’s response rate to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

It Provides Benefit Even After Diagnosis

44.5 percent of patients quit smoking after being diagnosed with lung cancer according to a study conducted among 517 people. Stating that patients who quit smoking live 2 years longer than those who do not, Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Banu Musaffa Salepçi said; "57 percent of lung cancer patients have metastasized at the time of first diagnosis, and unfortunately only 21 percent of patients survive for 5 years. However, according to the results of this research, if the patient quits smoking even after the diagnosis of cancer, the life expectancy can be up to 6.6 years, which is a very important result.”

Smoking Costs the Lives of 8.2 Million People Every Year in the World

According to the latest data of the Tobacco Atlas (Tobacco Atlas), which is prepared every four years with the contributions of the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, and the World Lung Foundation; 1.1 billion people in the world and 14.5 million people in Turkey smoke cigarettes and use other tobacco products. Sharing the information that approximately 8.2 million people die from smoking-related causes every year, Prof. Dr. Salepçi said; “Approximately 7 million of these patients were active smokers and 1.2 million were passive smokers. When we look at the 2018 data, we see that Turkey is one of the 15 largest cigarette consumers in the world. Considering that tobacco products are the culprit for 90 percent of lung cancers, we are in the highest risk group in this sense. Nearly 100 thousand people die every year due to smoking-related causes in our country. In our country, approximately 40 percent of men over the age of 18 and 20 percent of women smoke. The use of hookah is also very common in our country. However, the amount of nicotine taken after smoking a hookah is equal to the nicotine taken by smoking 50 cigarettes. Along with electronic cigarettes in Western countries, the fashion of portable pocket hookah has also started.

Electronic Cigarettes Are Not Innocent

Explaining that the use of electronic cigarettes is becoming more popular with each passing day, Prof. Dr. Banu Musaffa Salepçi continued her words as follows: “Electronic cigarette has been made attractive with aromas. However, it does not fall off the agenda of the world due to the fatal damage it causes to the lungs. Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, sudden loss of life due to electronic cigarette use was detected in the USA. In the statement made by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it was explained that vitamin E acetate was found as a result of tests on samples taken from 29 patients with electronic cigarette connections in 10 states. Inhaling vitamin E can cause serious damage to the lungs and even loss of life. Electronic cigarettes are presented as harmless by international cigarette monopolies through advertising and promotional campaigns. It is claimed that tobacco does not harm because it is not burned but heated. Tobacco is a carcinogenic substance even when chewed, even if it does not undergo any heating or processing. In other words, a tobacco product cannot be harmless in any way. In this latest study, they compared the three of them. Both the damage they cause to the veins and the damage they cause to the lungs are equivalent to each other. So we know that no tobacco product can be harmless. Especially when vitamin E and flavors are added in, it can become even deadlier.”

Smoking is a Social Problem!

Drawing attention to the importance of protecting young people and children from this addiction, since the age starting cigarettes and other tobacco products is mostly under the age of 18, Yeditepe University Hospitals Chest Diseases Specialist Prof., Dr. Banu Musaffa Salepçi said, “Cigarettes and other tobacco products only benefit cigarette monopolies. Smoking is not an individual problem that only concerns smokers. Since their spouses and children living next to smokers are also exposed to cigarette smoke as passive smokers, it concerns the whole of society. Regulations should be made against cigarette companies that encourage smoking of products such as cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, pocket hookahs, etc.” said.

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