"8 out of 10 Lung Cancer Patients Are Due to Tobacco"

Southeast Regional Radiation Medical Center Releases Survey Results on 1,551 Lung Cancer Diagnosed Patients Over 11 Years in Commemoration of World No Tobacco Day

▲Lung cancer. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] On the 31st, World No Tobacco Day, a survey revealed that over 80% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer were either direct or indirect smokers. This finding confirms that the actual impact of smoking is greater than previous investigations based on mandatory records (about 70%), raising awareness on the issue.

The Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Institute, under the Ministry of Science and ICT, conducted a study on 1,551 patients diagnosed with lung cancer over the past decade since its opening in 2010, examining the correlation between smoking and lung cancer. The results showed that 81.3% (1,260 people) were direct or indirect smokers. Only 18.7% (291 people) had no smoking experience at all.

Among them, 69.8% (1,082 people) were direct smokers, and 11.5% (178 people) were indirect smokers. The average age of direct smokers at the time of lung cancer diagnosis was 66.1 years, with an average smoking history of 40.5 pack-years. A pack-year refers to the amount of cigarette consumption based on smoking one pack per day for one year. For example, smoking one pack per day for 30 years equals 30 pack-years. Smoking half a pack per day for 30 years equals 15 pack-years.

The proportion of smokers was highest in their 70s, with the highest pack-year average of 47.8 observed in those in their 80s. Although the smoking rate decreased among younger people aged 50 and below, the proportion of smokers tended to increase with age.

Yang Seung-oh, Chief of Nuclear Medicine at the Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Institute, stated, “Despite numerous diseases and deaths caused by smoking, the smoking rate in South Korea remains high at around 20%. Smoking is closely related to various cancers, with lung cancer being particularly significant. While previous studies based on mandatory records showed a smoking rate of about 70% among lung cancer patients, this study, which used direct interviews to improve accuracy, found that 81.3% were associated with smoking.”

Chief Yang added, “Although the smoking rate among younger people has decreased, the number of lung cancer patients caused by smoking is still increasing. This highlights the importance of quitting smoking for modern people living in the era of longevity.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.