Most people know that cancer is associated with smoking. Unfortunately, many don’t truly realize the increased risks and seriousness of this disease, let alone its preventability. Smoking is a toxin and, as such, it causes damage to every organ in the human body. Therefore, it has been connected to at least 10 different types of cancers, including pancreas, bladder, kidney, cervix, esophagus, larynx, lung, and stomach, and is responsible for approximately 30% of cancer deaths.
Sadly, more than 154,000 Americans died in 2002 from lung cancer, making it the number one cause of cancer deaths for both men and women. Frighteningly, only 12-15% of patients who acquire lung cancer are currently being cured by cancer treatments, yet more than 90% of all cases of lung cancer are preventable because they are caused by smoking.
Symptoms of lung cancer include repeated attacks of bronchitis or pneumonia, coughing up blood, a nagging cough, loss or appetite, pain in the arm and chest, unexplained weight loss, wheezing, hoarseness, shortness of breath, and swelling of the face and arms.
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| Stop Smoking Before You Get Lung Cancer |
Esophagus (Esophageal Cancer)
The esophagus is a muscular tube that is responsible for transporting food from the mouth to the stomach. It occurs most often in men over 50 years old. There are two forms of cancer of the esophagus. One type, squamous cell cancer, is closely linked to smoking, as well as alcohol consumption.
Symptoms of squamous cancer of the esophagus include pain or difficulty when swallowing, pain behind the breastbone, weight loss, indigestion, heartburn, cough, and hoarseness.
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| Stop Smoking Before You Get Esophageal Cancer |