Dr. Novello says the benefits of quitting don't stop there. After 15 years of not smoking, your risk of coronary heart disease will again be equal to that of non-smokers. The good news is that smokers who cut back steadily on their cigarettes also decrease their chances of dying of lung cancer. Because the air you breathe is circulated throughout your entire body, a can do some sort of mischief in almost every cell. Smoking has made lung cancer the No. 1 cancer killer of American women.
Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer tenfold.
Smoking is responsible for more than 87 percent of lung cancer cases overall. Smoking is the cause of about 30 percent of all cancer deaths. Smoking has been implicated as a risk factor in cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, cervix, kidney, and bladder. Smoking increases the risk of miscarriages, lowers birth weight and increases the likelihood of infants having health problems. Smoking is a major risk factor for peripheral vascular disease, the narrowing of blood vessels in the legs and arms.