- https://smokefree.gov/ has very useful resources and tools.
- https://map.naquitline.org/default.aspx North American Quitline Consortium contains links to every state's and province's official quit-line websites in the United States and Canada  

Resources for Quitting Smoking

- Cigarette smoke has carcinogens and carbon monoxide that damage the lungs, cause irritation in lung tissue, and cause lung cancer.
- The nicotine in cigarettes makes them highly addictive.
- Secondhand smoke is also bad, causing some lung cancer cases.
- This 4.5 min video (by Demystifying Medicine) explains exactly how smoking causes lung cancer: https://youtu.be/0GCKicEKdUc.

How Smoking Causes Lung Cancer?

Cigarettes contain tobacco. Tobacco contains over 70 carcinogens that damage one's DNA and increases cell division, hence leading to cancer.  These carcinogens also damage brain cells and the airway/lungs. 

Cancer Prevention | How Smoking Causes Lung Cancer

Cancers linked to tobacco use make up 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States. (2016, November 10). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p1110-vital-signs-cancer-tobacco.html


Reference Tobacco Related Cancers

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco consumption is the leading cause of preventable disease in the United States. Despite the known harms, tobacco consumption is still very prevalent due to the tobacco companies’ introduction of novel products into the market. Quick statistics claims that about 34 million US adults smoke cigarettes (2019) meanwhile 58 million nonsmoking Americans are exposed to secondhand smoke. 

Source - https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/osh/index.htm 


Tobacco Consumption

According to the AACR,
- In the US, smoking causes 1 in every 5 cancer cases.
- On top of lung cancer, smoking causes 17 other types of cancer, including cancers of the colon, pancreas, liver, kidneys, esophagus, and stomach.
- Cigarettes have nicotine, which compels people to keep smoking in spite of the deadly consequences. 

Note: Text above copied nearly verbatim from my site cancer80.weebly.com

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR),
- 4 in every 10 cancer cases are preventable.
- Tobacco smoking (19%), excess body weight (8%), alcohol (6%), UV radiation (5%), poor diet (5%), infections (4%), and sedentary lifestyles (3%) are the main preventable risk factors for cancer.
- Numbers in parentheses indicate % of US cases in adults age >30 attributable to the indicated risk factors.

The above content is copied verbatim from Venkata Chengalvala's website https://cancer80.weebly.com/prevention.html.

Preventable Causes of Cancer

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

- Link to the tutorial: cancer80.weebly.com
- Notes: When using this reference, please cite my website and also the primary source of the info (you can find this in the site's in-text citations).

Cancer Tutorial | Sai Chengalvala

Cancer Prevention | Avoid Smoking

According to Preventing Cancer | AACR Cancer Progress Report 2020,
- In the US, alcohol use causes ≈ 1 in every 15 cancer cases.
- Excessive alcohol use** causes at least 6 different types of cancer, including bowel cancer, breast cancer, and esophageal cancer.
- Although excessive drinking is most dangerous, moderate drinking* also increases cancer risk somewhat.
- ** Moderate drinking is defined as ≤ 1 drink per day for women and ≤ 2 drinks per day for men (AACR).

Text above is copied verbatim from https://cancer80.weebly.com/prevention.html.

Cancer Prevention | Avoid or Limit Alcohol Consumption

According to the American Association for Cancer Research,
- Excessive body fat** is the second leading preventable cause of cancer; it causes about 1 in every 14 cancer cases in the US.
- Obesity is increasing very rapidly (at about 1% each year): obesity affects nearly half the US population.

** Excess body weight is formally defined as pre-obesity (BMI = 25 to 29.9) and obesity (BMI = at least 30). However, note that excess body fat (especially fat near or in between internal organs), not high BMI alone, is the culprit in raising cancer risk. More details on this will be in the child nodes.


Cancer Prevention | Avoid Excess Body Fat

According to the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2020 and the American Cancer Society,
- Unhealthy eating can cause excess body weight, which is the second leading preventable cause of cancer deaths.
- Unhealthy items like processed foods, sugar-sweetened drinks, refined grains increase the risk for cancer.
- Healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans lower the risk.

Content above copied nearly verbatim from https://cancer80.weebly.com

Cancer Prevention | Eat Healthy

- According to the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2020,
     - Physical activity reduces stress and improves mood, hence reducing unhealthy behaviors like smoking, excess alcohol use, and unhealthy eating.
     - Sufficient physical activity (≥ 150 min of moderate activity per week for adults, 60 min daily for adolescents) benefits physical and mental health in several other ways, too.​
     - Some physical activity is better than none.
- According to Healthcare Triage, exercise improves overall health in several ways, hence helping cancer patients and caregivers. This is demonstrated in a wide range of peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials.

Content above copied nearly verbatim from https://cancer80.weebly.com.

Cancer Prevention | Physical Activity

- According to the AACR, 1 in every 20 US cancer cases are caused by UV (ultraviolet) radiation. 
- According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, UV exposure causes over 85% of all skin cancers; to reduce UV exposure,
     - Seek shade (especially from 10 AM to 4 PM)
     - Avoid indoor tanning.
     - Wear clothes that cover your arms and legs.  Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and wrap-around sunglasses also helps cover your body.
     - Apply adequate sunscreen, with an SPF ≥ 15 (ideally ≥ 30), at least 30 min before going outside (even if it's cloudy). Reapply every 2 hours. Also, reapply after swimming or heavy sweating.

Content above copied nearly verbatim from Cancer Tutorial | Sai Chengalvala


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