Lung cancer has been thrust into the spotlight again after the death of legendary actor and philanthropist Paul Newman at the age of 83.
Newman died Friday only a few months after pictures surfaced of him looking frail and thin as he was wheeled from the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, where he was said to be receiving treatment for lung cancer.
During Newman’s rise to fame in the 1950s, cigarette smoking was used in the movies and on television to convey masculinity, sophistication and sex appeal.
Late in his career, Newman — who at one time was considered a heavy smoker — famously quipped, “It's absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.†It’s been reported that he quit smoking some 30 years ago.
But although stopping does help curb damage to your lungs as the years pass, the chance of getting lung cancer is never completely gone.
“The risk continues for at least 10 more years even after you’ve quit,†Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told FOXNews.com.
“Once lungs are damaged they don’t grow back,†he said. “It’s like brain tissue — once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.â€
In fact, smoking is behind nearly 90 percent of lung cancer cases and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. among both men and women.
“It’s a horrible way to go,†said Dr. Evan Sorett, a pulmonologist and director of critical care at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. “People have to be put on morphine, they are gasping to breathe. It’s a terrible death.â€
The NCI estimates that there will be more than 215,000 new cases of lung cancer this year and more than 161,000 people will die as a result. That is the equivalent of a Boeing 747 crashing every day, Sorett said. “If that was on the front page of The New York Times, it would get people’s attention,†he said. “But it’s not, and it doesn’t seem to make people stop smoking. That’s the only way to cure it. If it were up to me, I’d outlaw the sale of tobacco.â€
Newman died Friday only a few months after pictures surfaced of him looking frail and thin as he was wheeled from the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, where he was said to be receiving treatment for lung cancer.
During Newman’s rise to fame in the 1950s, cigarette smoking was used in the movies and on television to convey masculinity, sophistication and sex appeal.
Late in his career, Newman — who at one time was considered a heavy smoker — famously quipped, “It's absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.†It’s been reported that he quit smoking some 30 years ago.
But although stopping does help curb damage to your lungs as the years pass, the chance of getting lung cancer is never completely gone.
“The risk continues for at least 10 more years even after you’ve quit,†Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told FOXNews.com.
“Once lungs are damaged they don’t grow back,†he said. “It’s like brain tissue — once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.â€
In fact, smoking is behind nearly 90 percent of lung cancer cases and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. among both men and women.
“It’s a horrible way to go,†said Dr. Evan Sorett, a pulmonologist and director of critical care at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. “People have to be put on morphine, they are gasping to breathe. It’s a terrible death.â€
The NCI estimates that there will be more than 215,000 new cases of lung cancer this year and more than 161,000 people will die as a result. That is the equivalent of a Boeing 747 crashing every day, Sorett said. “If that was on the front page of The New York Times, it would get people’s attention,†he said. “But it’s not, and it doesn’t seem to make people stop smoking. That’s the only way to cure it. If it were up to me, I’d outlaw the sale of tobacco.â€
