Lung cancer patients have increased in recent years. More than half of them are tobacco addicts, according to a report by Khanh Hoa General Hospital...
Lung cancer patients have increased in recent years. More than half of them are tobacco addicts, according to a report by Khanh Hoa General Hospital.
Smoking is one of the global leading causes of diseases and death. Toxins, poisons and harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke include Acetone found in nail polish remover, Ammonia, a common household cleaner; Toluene used to manufacture paint; Formaldehyde used in mortuaries; Carbon Monoxide released in car exhaust fumes; DDT components and dieldrin, etc.
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| Medical check-up at Khanh Hoa Tuberculosis Lung Diseases Hospital. |
The chemicals inhaled through smoking cigarettes damage vital organs and tissues, and poison the smoker and cause a variety of diseases, including cancers of lung, mouth, pharynx, skin, chronic obstructive lung disease, heart disease, etc, according to Dr. Nguyen The Tai, Vice-Director of Khanh Hoa Tuberculosis Lung Diseases Hospital.
A recent US report says when burned, cigarettes create more than 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of which are poisonous. At least 70 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer.
90% of people smoking two packets a day are about 30 times more likely to get lung cancer than non-smokers. Passive smokers are also exposed to lung cancer by 20-50%, says Dr. Ton That Toan, Director of Khanh Hoa Center for Health Communication & Education.
According to Khanh Hoa General Hospital data, lung cancer patients have increased in recent years, from 187 in 2011 to 257 in 2012, 279 in 2013 and more than 400 in 2015. Patients under 40 years of age account for 1/3. Patients hospitalized with chronic obstructive lung diseases have also increased. Nearly 90% of them are smokers. More and more smokers are young.
A research by Health Strategy & Policy Institute in 2011 showed that about 11% of all deaths in men were related to smoking; male teenagers in Vietnam started smoking at the age of 19 and around 43% of smokers were between the ages of 15 and 45. Khanh Hoa Steering Board for Tobacco Control conducted a 2014 survey of 430 people in Khanh Hoa province and found that the proportion of smokers was 31.1%, including 26.5% smoking daily.
Quitting smoking and building a smoke-free environment will reduce the risk of lung cancer. The best ways to prevent cancer include avoiding smoking, keeping a healthy diet and doing regular 30-minute exercise every day.
T.L
Translated by N.T
