Food for thought

[crayons]

I hate to bust anyone's bubble, but I really believe that the medical establishment is way off base by encouraging long-term, heavy smokers to quit smoking to avoid lung cancer. To avoid emphysema and other problems, ok, but, not to avoid cancer. It's a futile effort all of the way around to adopt that kind of strategy, because 1) most people aren't successful, and 2) the ones who do quit get cancer and die anyway.

Instead of encouraging people who have already smoked for years to quit, we should be researching how to predict who has the genetic predisposition to develop cancer, and developing early screening and treatment methods that actually work. Despite the fact that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the US, there are proportionately no funds allocated to finding a cure or detecting cancer early. Instead, the medical establishment adapts the position that "it's their fault" and does nothing but use them as way to scare young people into not starting to smoke.

That's not acceptable. More people need to lobby the government to change its position on smoking and lung cancer. Only 15% of people who smoke heavily for years end up dying of cancer or emphysema. But for those 15%, quitting smoking does nothing except load extreme amounts of psychological stress onto their backs. It does nothing to prevent cancer.

The strategy is wrong and based on arrogance and victim-blaming. Genetic testing, early detection and treatment need to be supported.

I do not smoke. My grandfather died of lung cancer. He smoked heavily for 30 years, then he quit, and ten years later he still got cancer. My grandmother is 80 years old. She may have cancer. She never smoked, but was around the smoke for years. It has been 30 YEARS since my grandmother was around smoke. 30 years.

Quitting smoking doesn't work, and our government needs to stop blaming and start trying to find a cure.

[crayons]

This is a message I believe that is important. Do not demean it was assumptions about emotions or experience that are not accurate.

I hope at least one person picks up this message and communicates it someone else. It is not acceptable for the number one cancer killer in the US to be underfunded.

[kathyjo]

sounds like you have issues that aren't meant for this forum : (

For whatever reason WE chose to quit, support is what WE need and it hurts when a post like yours gets through. I realize that you have had some personal experiences with cancer but I don't see an MD after your name so I'm afraid that what you say was said with emotion rather then knowledge.
I agree that we need to have more cancer research and might I suggest that you think about pursuing this in school. We could use a passionate young doctor. Good luck Crayons and I will keep your grandmother in my prayers.

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1m 3w 5d 12:29 smoke-free, 1,261 cigs not smoked, $302.64 saved, 4d 9:05 life saved

[Jade59]

You tell him/her!!!

[needhelp4me434]

crayons.

cigarettes can cause lung cancer and other cancers, the worse lung condition caused by smoking is c.o.p.d. or simply put air hunger. it's a most terrible feeling.

i have taken

care of and have friends dealing with this.

i am a smoker and will attempt to quit smoking midnight 1/1/09.

i agree that the % is low for smokers to develope lung cancer. but, i also know smokers have a higher % of dying of other smoking related diseases heart attacks being number 1

there is no reason to smoke. read allen carr's book.

it's very expensive. i would say 80% of smoker's trying to quit now understand smoking is the most stupid thing they ever let themselves do.

what the media, ama, and tobacco companies have done is to have instilled in smokers mind withdraws are hell. this works. the trying to quit smoking smokers are more afraid of w/d's because of the  of all this hype. the nrt are backed by the big tobacca companies, their making a lot of money. but i do know alot of people that have quit smoking using these products.

it's not easy to start smoking. i can remember first trying to smoke. i got dizzy, sick to my stomach yet i kept at it. now i       will have to deal with trying to quit. my ego does'nt like feeling like an idiot anymore, is tired of the coughing, of being looked at like and idiot. of smelling like stale smoke

i will quit smoking on minute at a time. and feel i'm ready for any possible withdraws. if i fail a few times, so be it, i'll just start trying again.i may or may not get lung cancer or other smoke related disease  but at least i'll die a recovered idiot.

[Bob_D]

"Most people who quit smoking get cancer and die anyway", you say. The only evidence you present for such a preposterous statement is the case of your grandfather.

Not a very convincing argument, I'm afraid. Why

You don't smoke yourself, yet you also state that quitting smoking adds a heavy burden of psychological stress on the ex-smoker. Perhaps it does, somewhat, during the quitting process, but once one adapts, then there usually is no problem, I would venture to say. Again I ask you, where is the evidence for your assertion? You haven't presented any.

As other posters have stated, you have picked an unsuitable forum to present your highly questionable theories. I am sorry about your relatives who had or may have cancer, by the way.

[mr.lucky66]

I think you may have a point about people quitting and then getting cancer anyway. However, I think that the overall quality of someone's life is improved after quitting. Another reason is mental stability and clarity. I feel that people who don't smoke have better mental health. This is something that doesn't have a lot of reasearch but I myself and some health care professionals believe it. so many reasons to quit!

[Bob_D]

The informational web site "about.com" states that the chances of a current smoker  contracting lung cancer are 10 - 15% and that ten years after quitting an ex-smoker's chances fall to half of that, or 5 - 7.5%. That is quite a contrast with assuming that all ex-smokers will get cancer anyway despite quitting which was the original premise of this thread. Not even a majority of those who continue to smoke will get lung cancer.
The risk for other cancers, emphysema, stroke and heart disease also falls with time.
After fifteen years, the risks for some of the latter are the same as if one had never smoked.