Quitting smoking reduces lung cancer risk by up to 57%, study shows

Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of any type of cancer by 17 percent, and lung cancer—by 39 to 57 percent, depending on the age at which a person quit smoking. This is evidenced by a research published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The researchers studied data from about three million people, aged 30 years, in South Korea. Since 2002, all participants have undergone two or more examinations within the framework of the national health insurance program. They were monitored for an average of more than 13 years.

The study showed that people who quit smoking had a 17 percent lower risk of developing any type of cancer. The rate of reduction of lung (42 percent), liver (27 percent), and bowel (20 percent) cancers was even higher.

Moreover, the probability of detecting a lung tumor decreased faster than in the case of other types of cancer.

The most pronounced effect was observed among those who quit smoking before the age of 50. In addition, the probability of lung cancer decreased by 57 percent, while it was 39 percent among people who quit smoking at a later age.

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