Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of lung cancer by nearly 90 percent, an expert said Wednesday.
“Smoking causes about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths among tobacco consumers,” said Arun Goel, senior consultant of surgical oncology at Galaxy Cancer Institute in the capital.
Tobacco, responsible for 40 percent cancer-caused deaths in the country, also causes respiratory diseases due to passive smoking.
“Exposure to passive smoking causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year. People who quit smoking before the age of 35 can reduce their risks of developing lung cancer by 90 percent,” Goel added.
As November is celebrated as the International Lung Cancer Awareness Month, doctors emphasise upon the need to spread awareness on quitting smoking.
“Prevention of lung cancer includes quitting smoke, avoiding second-hand smoke, avoiding carcinogens at work, and moderate alcohol consumption apart from eating healthy,” said Dinesh Singh, director of radiation oncology at a city-based hospital in the capital.
According to a study by the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2009, India accounts for nearly 274.9 million tobacco users, around 35 percent of the Indian population.
