Smoking reduction helps lower lung cancer risk

Heavy smokers can decrease their risk of lung cancer by cutting down the number of cigarettes they smoke per day even if they can't quit. Researchers from the Hvidovre Hospital in Denmark conducted a population -based study among 19,714 subjects who were followed for 31 years. The participants who reduced their smoking from 20 to 10 cigarettes per day experienced a 27 percent reduced risk for lung cancer as compared to heavy smokers who didn't change their consumption. Among light smokers (average 9 cigarettes per day) throughout the study, the risk was reduced by 56 percent as compared to heavy smokers, while those who quit reduced their risk by 50 percent. For comparison, the risk among those who never smoked was 91 percent less than among heavy smokers. In another editorial, researchers from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire pointed out that smoking cessation is the best way to avoid harm from tobacco. They also pointed that only a minority of smokers are able to quit smoking completely. Thus it is important to inform them that the more they can reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, the more they will decrease their risk of lung cancer. In another study it was found that a diet high in plant-based estrogen-like compounds - phytoestrogens - is associated with a lower risk of lung cancer, in both nonsmokers and smokers. Researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston compared 1674 patients with lung cancer and 1735 matched healthy control subjects. Food questionnaires were used to assess their intake of several classes of phytoestrogens. Patients with lung cancer tended to consume lower amounts of phytoestrogens than controls, with men appearing to benefit more from phytoestrogen intake than women in terms of reducing the risk of lung cancer. The protective effect of phytoestrogens was strongest for people who had never smoked, although current smokers also appeared to benefit. Protective effects were not statistically significant in previous smokers. Patients should be informed that they can further reduce their risk of developing cancer by adopting a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.