Lung Cancer and Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer:

• 85% of lung cancer cases are smoking-related^[1]
• 1 in 10 smokers diagnosed with lung cancer
• Smokers have 22 times higher risk than non-smokers^[2]
• Earlier age of starting smoking results in higher lung cancer risk
• Non-smokers who exposed to second-hand smoke have 30% higher risk^[2]

Quitting smoking immediately improves health and gradually reduces disease risk_[3][4][5]:

• 20 minutes: blood pressure and heart rate return to normal
• 12 hours: carbon monoxide level in blood returns to normal
• 48 hours: improved sense of taste and smell
• 2–12 weeks: better circulation and lung function
• 1–9 months: cough and breathlessness improve
• 1 year: chance of having coronary heart disease is cut in half
• 5 years: 39.1% lower lung cancer risk for ex-heavy smokers_[5]
• 5–15 years: stroke risk drops to non-smoker level
• 10 years: half the risk of dying from lung cancer compared with current smokers_[3][4][5][6]
• 15 years: coronary heart disease risk equal to non-smokers