Why is it when you quit smoking you get cancer or worse?

Question

But people like George Burns smoked all the way up to 100yrs old. Should I quit now and take my chances or just keep smoking?

Smoker for 30yrs.

Answer 1

There are many advantages to quitting smoking.

Its not just the nicotine. Its also the other 50+ chemicals they out in cigarettes. Also the main problem is habit.
We have been used to having body sensations which we translate as 'my body needs something, which we have attempted to satisfy by having a cigarette.
When we try to stop smoking, we still get these 'my body needs something' sensations, and we still feel that we want a cigarette. We have to train our body to be more selective. When we feel we need something, we have to work out what it is that we actually need.
A glass of water is an excellent substitute if nothing else comes to mind, as it helps with the clearance of the toxic substances in our body. Another good substitute is a bag of salted peanuts, used in combination with the water.
Another thing to do is to find an activity which occupies the mind or body. Go swimming - nobody wants to smoke while they are swimming. Slowly, as our body adjusts and translates the 'want something' feelings into something other than cigarettes, then the feelings begin to go away. We know its not a cigarette that the body really needs, because as soon as we've had one we still have the feeling, and want another!

Answer 2

Being a RRT, the benefits of quitting smoking are never to early. While the damage is done to your lungs already, you can only prevent further damage by quitting now. You have to understand that cancer is pre-determined, so it is not that when you quit smoking you will get cancer, and it is not the smoking that gave you cancer it's the carcinogins in the tabacco. Some of us are just more likely to end up with cancer than others, but you can only increase your chances of not developing it, by stopping today.

Recently I had a patient who never smoked a day in her life and ended up with stage 4 lung cancer and died, so as you can see it's the chance you take. Either you will continue to smoke and if you end up with cancer or something worse you can blame it on the cigarettes, or you can stop now and say hey I have done everything I can do to prevent it...and be proud to say you quit the habit!

Best of Luck to you,
Kimberly, RRT

Answer 3

I say it depends on what you are smoking. George Burns smoked a domestic cigar known as El Producto. Also, he was working until 1994 which probably also helped with his longetivity that he was out and about. So you may want to switch to cigars or take your chances and quit smoking. My grandmother quit on and off, finally stopping in 1982, and she's going to be 88 this year.

I feel it is a roll of the dice, depending on how your body is and how you were before you started to smoke.

Answer 4

Quitting doesn't make you get cancer worse, its the smoking that does it. It is just probably coincidence that it seems to happen that way. The cancer was already there and quite active by the time a lot of people decide to quit.

Answer 5

because you were smoking in the first place.

the effects don't stop after 30years of it!

but the benefits of stopping are still there i'm sure u know the things: taste, finance, fitness, after 10 years its almost like you never smoked at all... & all that

so i say yes, take your chances, its the only choice you've got, but Better them by quitting.

Answer 6

shut up ,you freak
reported

i just gave up smoking after 40 years
havent stopped coughing since