Lung cancer: quitting smoking is crucial

Smoking and lung cancer risk

The fumo is the most important risk factor for lung cancer: about nine out of ten cancers are in fact attributable to cigarette smoke, which contains a few thousand chemicals, of which about eighty are carcinogenic.

The likelihood of developing the disease it depends both on the number of cigarettes smoked and on the number of years it has been smokedbut it decreases noticeably when you quitalthough former smokers continue to have a greater risk than those who have never smoked.

Women and smoking

In recent years, the incidence of lung cancer has decreased slightly in men, but it is significantly increased in women. This variation is linked precisely to smoking, which decreased among men, but increased among women.

There is no “safe” limit for the number of cigarettes smoked

Sometimes we hear that one or two cigarettes a day are not bad but is it really true? Unfortunately notthere is no critical threshold below which smoking does no harm and even one or two cigarettes a day increase the risk of lung cancer compared to those who have never smoked.

The role of passive smoking

No risk-zero even for passive smoking, on the contrary. People exposed to secondhand smoke have a 20-30% higher probability compared with non-smokers to get lung cancer and in the United States alone, it is estimated that around 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year are due to exposure to secondhand smoke.

Lung cancer in non-smokers

And how do you explain the cases of lung cancer in those who have never even lit a cigarette? Lung cancer, like nearly all cancers, is one multifactorial disease, therefore smoking, although the main one, is not the one and only responsible for the disease. Other important risk factors that can promote the development of lung cancer are the following.

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Radon exposure

Radon is a gas that forms naturally in the earth’s crust and enters homes through the soil. According to the National Institute of Health, the radon is the second most important risk factor for lung cancer and in Italy it is estimated that it is responsible for about 10% of cases. As with smoking, the likelihood of developing the disease depends on the concentration and duration of exposure to the gas and there is no threshold value below which there is no risk. Since radon is found mainly in rooms in direct contact with the ground, such as cellars, basements and garages, the the first step to avoid being exposed to this gas is the constant ventilation of the rooms in which its presence is recognized, followed by redevelopment and housing rehabilitation if the gas levels are too high.

Exposure to asbestos, arsenic, heavy metals, air pollution

Me too’occupational exposure to chemical carcinogens such as asbestos and arsenic and to heavy metals such as cadmium and chromium. Exposure to environmental contaminants such as exhaust gases and air pollution.

Genetic factors

Cancer that develops in non-smokers can be specific genetic characteristics that can be inherited, although in most cases these mutations develop over the course of life as a result of environmental exposure to carcinogens. The two most common genetic mutations linked to lung cancer are those in the EGFR gene and KRAS genebut numerous studies are underway to identify other genes potentially involved in the onset of the disease.

To know more

If you want to know more about lung cancer, download the manual “Lung cancer: from diagnosis to after treatment” made by Umberto Veronesi Foundation
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The Veronesi Foundation’s commitment against cancer

There Umberto Veronesi Foundation has always promoted healthy lifestyles and is committed to improving women’s awareness and supporting research on female cancer. And thanks to the progress made by science, today talking about breast cancer is less scary: the 5-year survival from diagnosis is 87%, if diagnosed in the early stages And over 90%. An excellent result achieved thanks to the two fundamental weapons that we have come to know: the prevention and the early diagnosis, with exams adapted to your age and personal situation. Umberto Veronesi Foundation aims to promote these tools and support breast cancer research: the goal is in fact to find new therapies even for those who do not benefit from current treatments, and for those who experience relapses.