Q&A: How long dose it take to get lung cancer from smoking like 5 ciggs a day and only smoking for 6 months?

2 Responses to “Q&A: How long dose it take to get lung cancer from smoking like 5 ciggs a day and only smoking for 6 months?”

1. Coriline says:

   7/17/2011 at 3:56 pm

   Now, cancer is the abnormal growth of cells. Some people that smoke for years don’t get lung cancer. On the other hand, if you have cancer in your family history, then there is a gene in you that causes an abnormal growth of cells (cancer).

   There’s no telling, honestly. Still, even if you have a clean family record of no cancer, cancer cells can form.
2. lo_mcg says:

   7/17/2011 at 4:45 pm

   It’s the length of time you’ve been smoking, rather than the amount you smoke, that’s the risk factor for lung cancer.

   Smoking-related lung cancer takes decades to develop.

   Lung cancer is extremely rare in people under 40; you don’t say how old you are, but I’m guessing you’re a teenager. Teenagers don’t get lung cancer.

   After 40 lung cancer rates rise sharply and peak between 75-84 years

   Anyone who gives up smoking at any age, even a lifelong smoker aged 60, reduces their chances of developing lung cancer dramatically. The younger they give up, the greater the reduction in risk.

   If you were to stop smoking now, after 6 months, it wouldn’t be long before your risk of developing lung cancer in the future returned to that of someone who has never smoked

   Cancer Research UK says:

   ‘A lifelong male smoker has a cumulative risk of 15.9% for developing lung cancer by age 75. For men who cease smoking at ages 60, 50, 40 and 30 years, their cumulative risk of dying from lung cancer falls to 9.9%, 6.0%, 3.0% and 1.7% respectively .’

   Which means even a lifelong smoker – one who started in her/his teens – will cut their risk of dying from lung cancer by over a third if they quit at 60