Lung cancer, one of the primary causes of mortality, accounts for more than one and a half millions deaths annually around the world. The American Lung Association (2006) estimates that during 2004, more than 160,000 deaths is caused by such disease.
Tobacco smoking, particularly cigarettes, is claimed to be the primary cause of lung cancer, accounting for almost 90% of reported cases. More than 17% and 11% of male and female smokers, respectively, has the risk of developing and acquiring the disease in their lifetime, which is considerably higher than the 1. -1. 4% of non-smokers. (National Cancer Institute, 2004)Cigarettes was mentioned to contain more than 60 types of carcinogens, which may hence lead to abnormalities in cell growth, which is worsened by the high nicotine content which impacts on the immune response to such effects.
These scientific facts therefore lead to the strong conclusion that smoking can definitely lead to lung cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (2004), smoking cigarettes alone is accountable for 30% of the deaths due to cancer in the United States.Cigarette smoking, as aforementioned, can result to chronic lung cancer, but apart from this health consequence, it may also cause cancers of the kidney, stomach, and so on, and even infant mortality and other complications. The cessation of the practice is argued to be capable of reducing the risk of the development of lung cancer.
Strong scientific evidence shows that upon diagnosis, those who stopped smoking has a longer survival rate than those who continued to smoke; while those who did not smoke at all had a clearly better prognosis. Roth, 1998) Causing 87% of all deaths from lung cancer disease, smoking remains as the top reason why most people acquire the affliction. Tobacco smoke is something that contains numerous chemical components that can cause lung cancer; the chemical agents number to around 4,000. Nicotine is contained in the cigarettes and tobacco smokes, which is responsible for the addiction of the person to the substance. The process of nicotine transfer in the blood takes only seconds, traveling to the brain, and in the long-term causing addiction.
Furthermore, lung cancer is formed because of the high contents of carcinogens and other substances like lead and arsenic. In fact, the effect of smoking and its relation to lung cancer and other complications extends not only to those who actively smoke, but also to passive smokers or second-hand smoker, those who inhale sidestream smokes. The National Cancer Institute mentioned that 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually are second-hand smokers.Studies from around the world is showing evidences that the effect of smoking to second-hand smokers may likely to be as or even more serious than direct, active smokers. (Roth, 1998) There is seen to have an increase in terms of relative risk to passive smokers, who are also directly affected by smoke that they are constantly exposed to and are inhaling. This passive smoking – to inhale smoke from the cigarette fumes of the active smokers – is also believed to cause lung cancer.
The prevention of lung cancer can have immediate and long-term implications if the person who has acquired it or has the chance of acquiring it, would put a stop to the habit. Also, public environment must be friendly to non-smokers, as they have they right to choose not to be exposed to a potential health risk. Also, the environment at home and work has to be kept clean and smoke-free so that the risk of lung-cancer would be lessened. The effect of quitting smoking is said to be very immediate, as argued by the National Cancer Institute.The Institute notes that smokers who choose to quite before the age of 50 can reduce the risk of dying due to lung cancer within the next 15 years. (NCI, 2004) In conclusion, the practice and culture of smoking is one that would eventually results to very serious complication like lung cancer, and even other health ailments.
This is the reality of smoking that must be faced and acted on by the policy-makers or event the layperson, in the transformation of the smoking habits of the society, lest, more deaths would continue to be caused lung smoking and its deadly effect of lung cancer.The effects of smoking extends not only to those who smoke but also to the people around them, who are considered to be second-hand smokers, and deemed to also be vulnerable to lung cancer, if continuously and regularly exposed. If lung cancer due to smoking would be seriously pursued by the authorities, then there must be strong policy foundations and wide information dissemination so that the culture of smoking can be lessened so as to cushion the mortalities caused by lung cancer.
