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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Does Quitting Smoking Reduce The Chances Of Cancer?

I am 24 and have smoked 5 cigarettes per day for 1 yr. i calculated my pack per year to be zero. I want to quit but i feel like 30 yrs from now if i get cancer i will just say oh why did i stop. is my risk of getting cancer reduced if i stop now? pls help
Mon, 20 Apr 2015
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Addiction Medicine Specialist 's  Response
ok... rule of thumb... 1 pack a day gives a 10% lifetime risk of lung cancer. we can detect cigarette stuff in the bloood so very accurately we can detect the 1% increase in risk from second hand smoke (1 in 1000 lifetime risk). You are looking at about a 1% lifetime risk BUT, with some significant risk of wrinkles, heart disease, other cancers that also are increased. The heart disease risk is not so linear as the lung cancer and 5 cigarettes is a significant increase risk of heart disease that is MORE than proportional to the number of cigarettes and more women die of heart than cancer.
Lung cancer risk declines and goes to about the same as a never smoker by about 10 years. Heart risk declines Very rapidly.. 1 year or less. BUT there is some residual damage to lungs and blood vessels and wrinkles that doesn't all go away with quitting.
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Does Quitting Smoking Reduce The Chances Of Cancer?

ok... rule of thumb... 1 pack a day gives a 10% lifetime risk of lung cancer. we can detect cigarette stuff in the bloood so very accurately we can detect the 1% increase in risk from second hand smoke (1 in 1000 lifetime risk). You are looking at about a 1% lifetime risk BUT, with some significant risk of wrinkles, heart disease, other cancers that also are increased. The heart disease risk is not so linear as the lung cancer and 5 cigarettes is a significant increase risk of heart disease that is MORE than proportional to the number of cigarettes and more women die of heart than cancer. Lung cancer risk declines and goes to about the same as a never smoker by about 10 years. Heart risk declines Very rapidly.. 1 year or less. BUT there is some residual damage to lungs and blood vessels and wrinkles that doesn t all go away with quitting.