Principal Director & Unit Head - Medical Oncology, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi, India
Part 3 of 8 in Diagnosis and Detection of Cancer
Smoking and Other Major Cancer Risk Factors
May 19, 2024
Among every risk factor for cancer, one stands far above the rest across every population, gender and ethnicity in the world.
Smoking is the single biggest risk factor
Smoking is the most common cancer risk factor globally, across every gender and race. Half of long-term smokers will die before they would otherwise have died, one in six will die specifically of lung cancer, and most die in middle age, during their most productive years. Quitting smoking at any point reverses some of this risk. Family members living with a smoker have a 30% increased risk of lung cancer themselves, and passive smoking kills millions of people every year.
Other contributing risk factors
Beyond tobacco, alcohol, viral infection, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and a high-calorie Western diet all contribute to cancer risk, with many other risk factors specific to individual cancer types.
This article is based on a Jivo Masterclass session conducted by Dr. Mohit Agarwal, Principal Director & Unit Head, Medical Oncology, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi. The article has been summarised with the assistance of an AI tool from the original masterclass recording. Watch the full Masterclass recording
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This guide is based on a live Jivo Masterclass: Dr. Mohit Agarwal taught doctors across Africa on May 19, 2024.
FROM THE LIVE Q&A
Moderator
What is the current management strategy for colorectal cancer?
Dr. Mohit Agarwal
First, a biopsy to understand what type of cancer it is. Second, a PET-CT scan to determine whether it is stage one, two, three or four. If it is stage one to three, the patient may go for surgery with further treatment based on the report; stage four generally starts with medical management first.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can we bring cancer diagnostics down to the local level?▼
Only through education and awareness. If patients know the seven warning signs of cancer, they will talk to their doctor and undertake screening, which brings cancer diagnosis down to the local level and enables earlier treatment.
To prevent cancer death and increase early treatment, what can be done to detect and diagnose cancer?▼
The same principle applies: go for screening, be aware of the warning signs, and maintain a healthy lifestyle - regular exercise, no tobacco, minimal alcohol and a balanced diet. Doing these things means you will either not develop cancer or you will catch it early.
What are the risks of working in a close environment to chemotherapy?▼
Chemotherapy, if not handled properly, can be toxic to people nearby. It has to be prepared in a specific mixing unit with proper precautions, and only staff trained in handling and administering chemotherapy should give it.
What are the best treatment options for already metastasised malignant disease?▼
It is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It depends on the individual patient, which cancer is present in the body, and which site it has metastasised to. Treatment can be chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy depending on exactly what is being treated.
Why do brain tumours relapse so much compared with other tumours?▼
Brain tumours relapse mainly if they are high-grade or advanced-stage. Complete surgical removal of a brain tumour is nearly impossible, so high-grade or advanced tumours are more likely to recur; patients with low-grade tumours tend to be cured.
What is the single biggest risk factor for cancer?▼
Smoking, across every gender, race and ethnicity globally; half of long-term smokers die before they otherwise would, and one in six dies of lung cancer specifically.
Does quitting smoking help if you've smoked for years?▼
Yes - stopping smoking at any point in life reverses some of the damage and risk.
In This Series: Diagnosis and Detection of Cancer
- 1.Diagnosis and Detection of Cancer
- 2.Cancer Myths: Family History, Genetic Testing and Who Gets Cancer
- 3.Smoking and Other Major Cancer Risk Factors
- 4.The Seven Warning Signs of Cancer and How Biopsy Works
- 5.Cancer Staging, Tumour Markers and Screening Explained
- 6.Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy Explained
- 7.Breast Cancer: Prognostic Factors and Treatment Sequencing
- 8.The Role of Nutrition in Cancer Prevention and Care