Can a person smoke their entire lives and avoid Lung Cancer?
Jul 21, 2010 in
Lung Cancer Questions
I know the longer you smoke the greater your risk but in theory is it possible?
I’ve been worrying about this excessively for the last two weeks for various reasons and its gotten to the stage where I’ve convinced myself in my mind that EVERY smoker will get lung cancer.
Thanks.
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7 comments
Panda on July 21, 2010 at 3:59 am
Yes.
Smoking places an individual at a greater RISK of getting lung cancer . . which is far different than saying that every person who smokes will get lung cancer. We know for a fact that this is not true. Not everyone who has been a life long smoker will get lung cancer and not everyone who has lung cancer ever smoked or was ever even exposed to second hand smoke. The truth is that we do not know why one person will get cancer while someone else will not.
Matt on July 21, 2010 at 3:59 am
yes.
... on July 21, 2010 at 3:59 am
Some people smoke all their lives and never get cancer from it but some people only smoke once and get cancer.
summerfun on July 21, 2010 at 3:59 am
i dont think every smoker will get cancer
i dont smoke but my mum is 56 and has smoked since she was 16,she does not have cancer but she has been diagnosed with COPD which is a permanent lung disease so i do think that even if you avoid cancer,you are still at risk from other health problems caused by smoking however some people could smoke for years without any health worries,everyone is different.my mum stopped smoking 2 years ago but it was too late as the damage ti her lungs has already been done and can not be undone just managed with medication.
Nvrgvup on July 21, 2010 at 3:59 am
The law of averages says yes.
Kit Tee on July 21, 2010 at 3:59 am
In short – yes…..you can smoke your whole life and still NOT get lung cancer. It IS possible, and NO, not EVERY smoker will get lung cancer.
People don’t always realise it takes about 8 different "assaults" on a particular cell, to stuff up the part of it that tells it when to replicate, and when to stop – even when to die…..cells have termination signals when the cell is no longer functioning or needed – for example red blood cells only live for about 120 days (but more new ones are also constantly being made).
But when a cell has been bombarded by carcinogenic (cancer-causing) things a number of times and usually over a long period, a cell can then switch into overdrive, start multiplying out of control – and there you have a cancer.
So if a smoker lived a reasonably healthy life, that would help them avoid cancer.
BUT….nobody knows for sure. You could be the fittest, most healthy person on the planet, except you smoke, and you die at 40 from lung cancer. Or you could smoke 3 packs a day, drink alcohol like water and live a life full of "things that are bad for you" (!!)….and live to be 110.
Dr.Gagan Saini on July 21, 2010 at 3:59 am
Only in theory maybe…
Dont forget that once u get lung cancer- all the theory goes out of the window and u r face to face with he killer…