THE World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that by 2030, smoking will be the number one cause of death in the world.
In the UK, Canada and the US, smoking kills more people than drugs, road accidents, fires, alcohol and HIV and AIDS-related diseases combined.
Research suggests that people who start smoking in their teens and continue for two decades or more will die 20 to 25 years earlier than non-smokers.
This is because tobacco smoke is a cocktail of over 4 500 dangerous chemicals.
When a person smokes, he or she takes in the smoke of burning tobacco which contains tar, a mixture of chemicals that are carcinogenic (cancer-causing substances).
And nicotine is a stimulant drug, used as pesticides, addictive as heroin and alcohol among other substances which include carbon monoxide, acetone and ammonia.
A local oncologist, Dr Webster Kadzatsa, says smokers have great chances of having lung cancer and also other mouth-related cancers such as lip cancer, tongue cancer, oral cancer, cancer of the hard palate and soft palate, among other types of cancers.
“Smoking can be active or passive (which means inhaling the smoke from cigarettes) and this usually occurs in nightclubs and at home or work,” said Dr Kadzatsa.
“All types of smoking have a great chance of damaging cells in the lungs and this includes those who chew tobacco
“The risk of lung cancer increases with the length of time and number of cigarettes one has smoked.
“If one quits smoking, even after smoking for many years, it can significantly reduce their chances of developing lung cancer.”
He said that it took a bit of time in Zimbabwe for someone to be screened for lung cancer unless one notices some unusual symptoms hence by the time one discovers he/she has lung cancer, it would have developed to stage three or four which needs chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
“The problem is that when we detect cancer, you would have had it for a long time CT scans and X-rays will not detect cancer that is less than a million cancer cells,” said Dr Kadzatsa.
“You can have 10 000 cancer cells in you and the scan will be negative because it has to be a certain size to be picked.
“At times you can be told that you are negative and the cancer continues to grow and by the time we discover it, one will be in stage three or four cancer where it requires management and treatment through surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.”
Symptoms of lung cancer include coughing, coughing up blood or rusty-coloured phlegm, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, recurrent respiratory infections, hoarseness, new wheezing and shortness of breath.
A new cough in a smoker or a former smoker should raise concern for lung cancer if:
l A cough does not go away or gets worse over time. It should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
l Coughing up blood (hemoptysis) occurs in a significant number of people who have lung cancer. Any amount of coughed-up blood should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
l Pain in the chest area is a symptom in about one fourth of people with lung cancer. The pain is dull, aching and persistent.
l Shortness of breath usually results from a blockage in part of the lung, collection of fluid around the lung (pleural effusion) or the spread of tumor through the lungs.
l Wheezing or hoarseness may signal blockage or inflammation in the lungs that may go along with cancer.
l Repeated respiratory infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, can be a sign of lung cancer.
Lung cancer treatment at times triggers nausea and dietitians recommend eating more cold foods because they do not have a strong odour, as well as lower-fat items since fats take longer to digest.
For constipation, dietitians encourage fibre-rich foods and increased fluid intake.
And to combat fatigue, high-protein snacks and small, frequent meals rather than large meals are recommended.