Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. This type is associated with 85-90% of all cases of oncology. In a conversation with socialbites.ca, thoracic surgeon and oncologist Andrei Nefedov explained how smoking affects the decrease in life expectancy and how to detect lung cancer in time and start treatment.
“At the same time, lung cancer is one of the deadliest types of oncology. The annual death toll is approximately 1.8 million people, while 2.2 million people become ill, that is, more than 80% of all cases. Smoking also affects life expectancy; smokers live on average 10-15 years less than non-smokers,” Nefedov explained.
According to the doctor, tobacco smoke contains more than 5,000 chemicals that, when inhaled, enter the body and poison it. At the same time, not only regular cigarettes but also nicotine-containing devices such as vapes and electronic cigarettes have this effect.
According to the doctor, the main way to prevent the development of lung cancer is to quit smoking forever and do it as soon as possible. One year after quitting smoking, the risk of lung cancer decreases by 6%, which strengthens the motivation to quit smoking at all ages.
The doctor noted that you need to carefully monitor your health, even if it is not possible to get rid of a bad habit at the moment. Early diagnosis of the disease is necessary in order to detect oncology in time and start treatment on time.
“The main method of such a diagnosis is LDCT scan (low-dose computed tomography). This method makes it possible to detect lung cancer in the early stages, significantly improving the prognosis of treatment in contrast to later stages. “This is especially necessary for people who are at risk: smokers aged 55 to 70, people who smoke or have smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for about 30 years,” Nefedov said.
It was before named A reliable way to reduce the risk of dangerous lung diseases.