Shaukat Khanum Hospital Specialists on lung cancer
Did you know that smoking shisha or chewing tobacco is just as harmful as smoking cigarettes? We spoke to Dr Faheem Mahmood Butt, Consultant Pulmonologist at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital to find out more.
Watch our video of Dr Butt to learn more about the symptoms of lung cancer and the treatment being carried out at Shaukat Khanum Hospital.
Read our interview with Dr Butt below to find out about lung cancer and the harms of tobacco consumption in general.
Dr Butt, isn’t smoking on the decline?
"Smoking is declining in many western countries. In the US, the national smoking rate has decreased to almost half over the last three decades. However, smoking is on the rise in developing countries like Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia."
So, the death rate caused by smoking is still quite high even though people know about the dangers of smoking?
"Yes. Every year 8 million people die of tobacco/smoking-related diseases (according to the WHO). Every 4 seconds a current or former smoker dies. 70% of smokers die younger than non-smokers. In the 21st century, over 1 billion people will die from smoking."
How about people who use tobacco but don’t smoke cigarettes. Are they safer?
"All forms of tobacco consumption are dangerous and addictive. This includes smoking cigarettes, the pipe, cigars and shisha. Chewing and sniffing tobacco is also harmful, as tobacco contains poisonous and cancerous chemicals which cause mouth, gum and throat cancers."
Many smokers want to quit but have trouble breaking the habit. Why is tobacco use so addictive?
"Nicotine present in tobacco smoke causes addiction by increasing the levels of chemicals like Dopamine and Endorphin in the brain. These chemicals give a sense of happiness hence there is a craving for tobacco products. If a person tries to quit, withdrawal effects include irritability, anxiety, depression and lack of concentration."
But nicotine isn’t the only substance to be concerned about, is that right?
"Tobacco and tobacco smoke have about 4,000 chemicals, 200 of these are poisonous and 60 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer (carcinogens). Some of these chemicals are benzene (a petroleum product), ammonia (used in dry cleaning and toilet cleaning), formaldehyde (a chemical used to preserve dead bodies) and tar. Tobacco smoke causes atherosclerosis (hardening of the blood vessels) leading to heart attacks or strokes. It also contains carbon monoxide which decreases oxygen in the blood.
"Among the many adverse effects of smoking and tobacco use are osteoporosis, stomach ulcers, early ageing of the skin and sleep disturbances."
So, is it safe to say smoking is the biggest cause of lung cancer even though non-smokers can also develop the disease?
"Yes. 90% of people who develop lung cancer are current or former smokers. The risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day i.e., 1 pack per day smokers are at a higher risk than half-pack-per-day smokers. It also increases depending on how long someone has been smoking, for example, a person who has smoked for 20 years is at a higher risk than one who smoked for 10 years. In the US, lung cancer causes more deaths than breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer combined."
Are there other forms of cancer caused by smoking?
"There are. Smoking is also a known cause of many other cancers like throat cancer, oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the pancreas, breast cancer, kidney cancer and prostate cancer."
Aside from cancer, what other diseases can smoking cause?
"Smoking causes medical conditions called emphysema and bronchitis (COPD). In these conditions, the lung tissue is permanently damaged, so patients develop a cough, difficulty in breathing and sometimes also symptoms, which mimic asthma. Patients suffering from COPD easily contract lung infections like pneumonia. In this case, the lungs cannot produce enough oxygen, which ultimately, leads to breathing failure and death.
"Also, tobacco smoking is a leading cause of heart attacks. Smokers have twice the risk of developing fatal heart disease. Tobacco smoke has chemicals, which cause the hardening of the blood vessels with plaque formation (atherosclerosis). This blocks the blood supply to the heart muscle resulting in heart attack and death. Smoking also increases the risk of strokes, with smokers being three times more at risk of having strokes."
And lastly, is passive smoking as dangerous as people say?
"It is. A person who smokes not only harms himself but people around him like co-workers and family members who are at a high risk of developing cancer, heart disease, stroke and lung infections. Children of smokers are at risk of developing asthma, bronchitis, sinus infections and mental retardation."
Get Involved this Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Did you find this post helpful? Why not help us raise awareness about the dangers of smoking this Lung Cancer Awareness month?
Take the challenge! If you smoke, sign up for our Quit Smoking Challenge this November. Depending on how confident you are, sign up for a day, a week, 10 days or the whole month! Get friends and family to sponsor your efforts and raise funds for lung cancer patients in Pakistan. Share your quit-smoking moments with us by using #quitsmokingchallenge. Give us a call to sign up today: 01274 424 444.
Spread the knowledge! Share this post and our other resources on lung cancer awareness (below) with your friends and family.
Do you or does someone you know want to quit smoking? Help is available.
Consult your physician or GP who will be able to advise you about nicotine products which can suppress withdrawal symptoms.
For more information about lung cancer and its risks, download the Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lung Cancer Information leaflet.
You may also find the NHS quit smoking app and other resources useful, available here.