Stopping smoking at any age helps reduce your risk of cancer, according to a large new study.
The study found that the greatest reduction in cancer risk came after the first decade of quitting smoking.
The risk of developing cancer is reduced by half for those who quit smoking for at least 15 years, compared to those who continued to smoke, with the risk of developing lung cancer decreasing more and more quickly, especially among those who quit smoking before middle age.
The researchers analyzed medical data from nearly 3 million people in South Korea who underwent health examinations from 2002 onwards and recorded cancer cases, including lung, liver, stomach, colon and rectal tumors, up to 2019.
Over the course of the study, nearly 200,000 participants received a cancer diagnosis.
Dr Jin Kyung Oh, who led the study at the National Cancer Center near Seoul, said: “Regardless of age, quitting smoking has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, especially lung cancer. big".
After a median follow-up of 13 years and five months, the risk of lung cancer among those who quit smoking was reduced by 42%, with smaller reductions of 27%, 20% and 14% for liver, colorectal and stomach cancer, respectively, compared to those who continued to smoke.
Smoking causes at least 15 different cancers, affecting the lungs, bladder, stomach, intestines, and organs, such as the kidneys and liver.
According to the study, smokers who quit smoking before the age of fifty had a 57% reduced risk of developing lung cancer during the follow-up period compared to those who continued to smoke. Those who quit smoking at age 50 or older saw a 40% reduction in their risk of developing lung cancer during that period.
Dr Oh told The Guardian: “Quitting smoking, no matter your age, can have significant health benefits. Individuals who quit smoking after middle age were 40% less likely to develop lung cancer than those who continued to smoke.” "Smoking. I don't think it's too late. We encourage you to consider starting your quit smoking journey."
Robert West, emeritus professor of health psychology at University College London and an expert in health psychology at University College London, explained that cancer development is a multi-stage process, in which DNA mutations escalate until they damage one or more cells in a way that leads to them multiplying uncontrollably. .
West pointed out that this study confirms two important facts: “One is that it may take many years for the risk of cancer to decrease compared to continuing to smoke. The other is that the decrease is greater for those who quit smoking at a younger age.”
He added: "For smokers, this shows how important it is to stop smoking at as early an age as possible. There is a benefit at every age, but the younger smokers can stop smoking, the more of their life they can get back."
Discovering the mystery of pancreatic cancer's resistance to treatment
Scientists from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome have discovered the mystery of pancreatic cancer cells' resistance to treatment.
A “major breakthrough” in the field of pancreatic cancer.. Scientists are on the cusp of a new treatment for the deadly disease
According to the journal Cell Reports Medicine, researchers found that pancreatic cancer is untreatable due to “a mechanism linked to the regulation of messenger RNA, whereby when the genetic code is copied into a molecule, a defect may occur. As a result, the same gene can produce different proteins, including treatment-resistant proteins.” "Chemist."
Researchers point out that there are drugs that can be used to treat pancreatic cancer, such as Nusinersen, which is used to treat spinal muscular atrophy.
It should be noted that Dr. Valery Igeyev, a Russian oncologist, announced that pancreatic cancer often develops without symptoms, but there are many manifestations that indicate the necessity of undergoing examination. Among them are sudden weight loss, digestive disorders, pain in the right hypochondrium, and changes in the color of urine and stool.
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