| The California Cancer Registry and the American | | | | smoking, your chances ofgetting lung cancer |
| Cancer | | | | decreases over time. After 15 years, therisk is |
| Society have just released a new booklet | | | | only slightly higher than among people who |
| "California Cancer | | | | havenever smoked. |
| Facts and Figures, 2006". For those of you living in | | | | Secondhand Smoke |
| Californiawith any form of cancer, I urge you to | | | | I think we all know by now that secondhand |
| get this informativebooklet. | | | | smoke has beendetermined to cause cancer in |
| For this report, I will just be focusing on the stats | | | | humans. But did you know thatevery year in the |
| for Lung | | | | U.S., about 3,000 non-smoking adults die oflung |
| Cancer in California. California is a leader in tobacco | | | | cancer directly as a result of secondhand smoke? |
| taxinitiatives. Following the cancer trends in | | | | Themost recent high-profile example is Dana |
| California willdetermine what measures the rest of | | | | Reeve, wife of |
| the country must take todecrease the lung | | | | Christopher Reeve. It is believed she may have |
| cancer rates overall. | | | | contracted itfrom secondhand smoke as a result |
| Good News! - Basically | | | | of her years as anentertainer in music clubs. |
| Basically, the news is very good. From the period | | | | Secondhand smoke is particularly harmful to |
| of 1988 - | | | | children. Thegood news is in 2004, more than |
| 2002, all types of incidences of cancer in California | | | | 80% of Californiahouseholds with children younger |
| wentdown by 12%. Cancer mortality declined by | | | | than 5 completely stoppedsmoking in the home. |
| 19%. Thanks to | | | | Alarming Smoking Trends |
| Proposition 99 - the California tobacco control | | | | Given that lung cancer rates in California have |
| initiativepassed in 1988, tobacco-related cancers | | | | droppedsignificantly, it would be logical to assume |
| sharply declined,much more than any other state. | | | | that the smokingrates have also dropped, wouldn't |
| Tobacco-related cancersinclude cancers of the | | | | it? And in fact they have,among most adults and |
| lung, larynx, mouth, pancreas,stomach and bladder. | | | | teenagers. In 2004, 15% of Californiaadults still |
| However, lung cancer still causesmore deaths than | | | | smoked. |
| any other cancer. | | | | The alarming trend is the increase in 18-24 year |
| What About New Cases? | | | | old smokers. |
| Out of all Californians alive today, about 15 million | | | | They are the fastest growing rate of smokers in |
| will eventually get some form of cancer, that is | | | | California andthe tobacco companies are targeting |
| about two in five. | | | | them as the "smokers ofthe future". The smoking |
| Over the years, cancer will strike around three | | | | rate for 18-24 year olds was 18% in |
| out of everyfour families. This year alone, there | | | | 2004. |
| will be more than 15 newcases diagnosed every | | | | What Can Be Done? |
| hour of every day. For men, of all thenew cases | | | | Cancer is the second leading cause of death in |
| diagnosed, 13% of them will have lung cancer. | | | | California. Allcancers caused by tobacco and |
| For women, that number is 12%. | | | | heavy use of alcohol can beprevented completely. |
| Tobacco-Related Cancers | | | | In 2006, 18,000 Californians will diebecause of |
| Presently, about 85% of lung cancer is caused by | | | | tobacco use. |
| cigarettesmoking. However, many other cancers | | | | Early diagnosis can save lives by identifying cancer |
| are caused bytobacco as well. Overall, one of | | | | when it isin the curable stage. The five year |
| every three cancer deaths isdue to tobacco. The | | | | survival rate for mostcancers is very good if it's |
| incidence of lung cancer decreased by | | | | caught early. Unfortunately, thestatistics for lung |
| 26% in the time period mentioned above. | | | | cancer are not so good, mostly because it |
| Needless to say, forthose smokers who have quit | | | | isdifficult to diagnose early enough. |