I recently posted about this topic on the Stef Health Tips Facebook Page. I'm currently a dietetic intern pursuing a career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. My clinical rotations (aka my experience working with patients in the hospital) these past few months have been incredible and extremely rewarding; the learning curve when you are actually doing what you love is unreal.
In my dietetic internship, I see different patients every day. When you're a patient in the hospital, it's never a good thing. Many patients I meet have cancer, and quite too often, are specifically suffering from lung cancer. If you are a smoker, or know someone who smokes, please read and/or share this with them. Make the change NOW- don't end up being one of our patients...
1) Lung carcinoma is the LEADING cause of cancer-related death WORLDWIDE.
2) Roughly 85% of lung cancer cases are related to cigarette SMOKING.
3) Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis remains poor, with ONLY 15% of patients surviving >5 years from time of diagnosis. For patients with stage IV (metastatic) disease, the 5-yr overall survival rate is LESS THAN 1%.
4) There are more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke; at least 250 of them are known to be harmful, and at least 69 of them can cause cancer.
5) Cancer caused by smoking isn't just contained to the lung; it can cause esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, cervix, colon and rectum cancer.
6) There is no safe tobacco product. Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, pipes, hookahs, etc... all forms of tobacco are harmful and addictive.
7) Although it is NEVER TOO LATE to get a benefit from quitting, the benefit is strongest among those who quit at a younger age.
Your immediate benefits of quitting include improvements in heart rate and blood pressure, carbon monoxide levels, less wheezing or coughing, lung function, and sense of smell & taste of food. Long term benefits include reducing the risk of cancer and other disease, such as heart disease, COPD... basically, you get your life back. Where can you go to get help? Smokefree.gov, NCI Smoking Quitline 1-877-44U-QUIT, support groups, etc. Please share this post, it may help save a life.
Xoxo,
Stefani