How To Quit Smoking And Reduce Your Risk Of Lung Cancer

By now, most people know that smoking cigarettes and using tobacco products is bad for your health. But it can be challenging to quit. Learn how you can stop this unhealthy habit and prevent lung cancer in the future.

Why Quit Smoking?

It is the single best choice you can make for your health. It improves your chances of living a long, higher-quality life free from chronic, debilitating and sometimes fatal conditions.

A typical cigarette contains more than 70 carcinogens. Carcinogens are chemicals that greatly increase your chances of developing many types of cancer, particularly lung cancer.

Smoking can also lead to a variety of other health problems, including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and loss of bone density. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16 million Americans currently live with a smoking-related disease.

Smoking Cessation Classes

Smokers usually have a much better chance of quitting with a support program. Studies have shown that the best smoking cessation programs include individual or group counseling. When thinking about entering a program, consider the following:

• Session length: A session should be at least 20 to 30 minutes long to be effective.
  
  
• Number of sessions: Attending at least four to seven sessions is best.
  
  
• Number of weeks: Attending for at least a month is ideal.
  
  
• Certified leaders: The leader of your group should be certified to teach a smoking cessation class or group.
  
  

Get Screened for Lung Cancer

Tobacco smoke is the leading cause of lung cancer, and lung cancer is the second-most common cancer in both men and women. More people die each year from lung cancer than from colon, breast and prostate cancer combined. Three-quarters of new lung cancer cases are late-stage cancers, which are far more difficult to treat than early-stage lung cancers.

Unfortunately, only 16% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage according to the American Lung Association. In fact, more than half the people with lung cancer die within one year of being diagnosed. It’s important to catch the disease in its early stages and increase the likelihood of successful treatment.

Who Should Get Screened?

If you are a smoker or have quit in the last 15 years, or you live, work or are regularly around someone who smokes, you may be at risk of developing lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is greatest for current and former smokers as they get older.

You should get screened for lung cancer if you:

• Are between 50 and 80 years old
  
  
• Have no signs or symptoms of lung cancer
  
  
• Have a smoking history of at least one pack a day for 20 years
  
  
• Are a current smoker or have quit in the last 15 years
  
  

Need help with quitting smoking? Register for UM BWMC’s free Quit Smoking class at www.umbwmc.org/calendar. To see if you may be at risk for lung cancer, take a free and quick online risk assessment at www.umbwmc.org/lunghra5.