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Approximately how many cigarettes would it take to induce lung cancer?
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Default Approximately how many cigarettes would it take to induce lung cancer? - 11-28-2008, 09:20 PM

I just want to know. I've been smoking since late 2008 and early 2009 when I went to this military school for college. Now, I smoke 2 to 3 or 3 to 4 cigarettes on average, but occasionally I could smoke about 7 or 8 or 9 a day. I'm fearing lung cancer would occur after a few years in my life if I continue doing this, but my big brother started smoking since 2001 and his main concern primarily is having a stroke because of his weight and not cancer. I presume only gout, stroke and arthritis is present in our family and not cancer because my dad once had a stroke and occasionally got struck with gout and had to walk with a walking stick for a while, and so did my brother just recently. Surely I won't take this as a reason not to be aware of the dangers of cancer. I'm also trying to quit as early as now, but it's just so hard for me to quit.
   
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Default 11-30-2008, 09:20 PM

That all presumes with how many cigarettes a person smokes a day or a week a month or years. It just depends on the person.
   
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Default 12-03-2008, 09:20 PM

There is no set number of cigarettes. Cancer doesn't work like that. There are so many variables involved it is impossible to guess. My father has smoked 1 or 2 packs a day for the past 20 years and does not have cancer, and then there are some people who don't smoke but are exposed to low levels of 2ND hand and get cancer after a couple years.

Smoking is like Russian Roulette. You don't know when its going to get you, but if you play long enough, it's guaranteed to get you eventually.
   
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Default 12-05-2008, 09:20 PM

It's not really a matter of how many cigarettes you smoke... If it were a number, that would imply everyone who smoked would get lung cancer eventually. And that's not true.

In fact, when it comes to calculating risk equations for cancers from tobacco usage, there is a survivor's benefit... In short, the factor they multiple with the length of time you've been smoking goes DOWN after a certain amount of time. Your risk increases and increases and increases as your "time smoking" goes up... But only to a point. After a while, it starts to go back DOWN.

(Basically, what that's saying is that the longer you smoke, the more at risk you are. BUT, at a certain point, if you've been smoking for say 30 years? The chances that you'll develop lung cancer get smaller. At that point, we can begin to assume your genetic makeup and risk factors are just not aligned right to get lung cancer.)

Anyway...

Depending on your risk factors, the percentage of smokers who get lung cancer ranges from 1% to 15%.
   
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Default 12-09-2008, 09:20 PM

There is no exact number. Each cigarette increases your chances of getting lung cancer.

More to your question, smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day will double your chance of having a stroke. Smoking up to 20 cigarettes a day more than quadruples your chance of having a stroke. Cigarettes exhibit what is called a dose response, which means that higher doses (more cigarettes) will increase your chances of cancer and stroke. So, 8 is better than 18, but 8 still puts you at an increased risk of stroke.

Smoking is very addictive. Your doctor has medical tools to help you quit, but it still won't be easy. You can do it.
   
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Default 12-12-2008, 09:20 PM

My mom always said, "With each cigarette you smoke, you add another nail in your coffin." I smoked for 40+ yrs and quit 18 months ago. I recently had a chest x-ray and there are no signs of cancer or any lung disease. I have been so blessed with that. That doesn't mean that everyone will have the same results. You can't put a number on cigarettes smoked. Just don't do it and you'll have no worries, maybe.
   
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Default 12-13-2008, 09:20 PM

I lost 2 family members to lung cancer and they both smoked. It is a horrible way to die. Does not matter if you smoke less than 30 years or more than 30 years it hurts your overall health. It clog gs up your lungs making it harder for them to get oxygen to your heart therefor weakening your heart. My father had smoked for awhile and it caused him to have a massive heart attack and we watched in the ICU when they had tubes coming from both lungs all the nasty smut coming from them. Even when you quit you will still be at high risk for 5 years after for the lung cancer. my dad had been quit for 4 years and developed lung cancer and died.Please quit!
   
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Default 08-24-2012, 11:43 PM

That is a really main thing is you can never only smoking affected on to lung cancer but some other reason are really most important to getting it. So avoid more smoking and eating more healthy food is really most important to avoid it.
   
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