Lung cancer is the 2nd most  common cancer in the UK with over 38,000 new cases diagnosed each year. When lung cancer is discovered early it may be cured with an operation, but because the disease is usually found at a later stage,  the aim of treatment is usually to control rather than cure the cancer.

The evidence for a link between smoking and lung cancer is overwhelming and it is thought  that more than 90% of all lung cancers are due to smoking.
The risk of getting lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked. So someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day is about 20 times more likely to get lung cancer than a non-smoker, whilst someone who smokes 30 cigarettes a day is about 30 times more likely to get the disease than someone who has never smoked.

Starting smoking early in life also increases the risk. For example a person aged 60 who started smoking at 15 years is three times more likely to get lung cancer than someone of the same age who started smoking at 25.
Smoking also causes other cancers and non-cancerous illnesses like heart disease. Current estimates are that about half of all regular smokers will die of a smoking related illness.

Overall the life expectancy of a regular smoker is 8 years less than that of a non-smoker and lung cancer is a major cause of this.. The overwhelming message from all this is not to smoke.

Giving up smoking at any stage is worthwhile. The risk falls quite quickly so that within 18months of stopping the risk has almost halved and after 10 years the risk is almost back to that of a non-smoker. For anyone who smokes you can discuss possible options to help in giving up smoking with their GP.