A closer look at smoking and lung cancer among NDN

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A closer look at smoking and lung cancer among American Indians
Posted: November 15, 2006
by: Charlotte Hoefer <http://www.indiancountry.com/author.cfm?id=635> /
Special to Today

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courtesy American Cancer Society -- Roberta Cahill, Yankton Sioux from
South Dakota, works to bring awareness of cancer to diverse populations.
Editors' note: In this interview, Roberta Cahill, of the American Cancer
Society, answers questions regarding smoking and lung cancer. Cahill is
Yankton Sioux and lives in South Dakota. Her work focuses on cancer
awareness to diverse populations.

Charlotte Hoefer: What is the correlation between smoking and lung
cancer?

Roberta Cahill: Overwhelmingly, smokers are most at risk of developing
lung cancer. Smoking causes eight in 10 cases of lung cancer. So the
best thing you can do to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking. And
smokers aren't the only ones at risk - secondhand smoke can increase a
nonsmoker's risk by up to 30 percent.

Hoefer: Is smoking prevalence higher among American Indians than in the
general population?

Cahill: Smoking prevalence is much higher among American Indians than in
the general population - with 33 percent of Native American adults who
smoke, compared to 22 percent of Caucasians.

Hoefer: What is the American Indian survival rate from cancer?

Cahill: American Indians and Alaska Natives have the lowest survival
rate - from all cancers combined - of any racial group. Cancer death
rates vary from region to region among Natives. Mortality rates are
higher for American Indians living in the northern Plains and Alaska
than in the Southwest, due in part to the higher smoking prevalence in
these areas.

Hoefer: What is the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout?

Cahill: The Great American Smokeout is Nov. 16. It's a day for smokers
nationwide to unite and kick the deadly habit of smoking for a lifetime
by starting with just one day. Thousands of people all over the country
will choose to quit on that day.

Hoefer: Why is lung cancer so deadly?

Cahill: Lung cancer is so dangerous because it is so difficult to
diagnose. Symptoms usually don't present until the cancer has grown into
a tumor large enough to be detected by an X-ray. Unfortunately, at this
point, the cancer has frequently spread to other parts of the body -
called metastasis. It often spreads in this way before it is found, and
at that point it can be life-threatening.

Hoefer: What are the statistics on lung cancer?

Cahill: It's the leading cause of cancer death for men and women in the
U.S. The American Cancer Society predicts over 174,000 new cases of lung
cancer this year, and over 162,000 deaths. If you break it down, on
average, one in 13 men will develop lung cancer, and one in 17 women.
Worse yet, six out of 10 individuals will die within one year of
diagnosis.

Hoefer: If someone wants to quit smoking, where can they go for help?

Cahill: The American Cancer Society offers support for anyone who wants
to quit. Call [phone] or log on to www.cancer.org.

Hoefer: What's the single most important thing a person can do to
improve their overall health?

Cahill: The single most important

thing you can do to improve your long-term health and well-being is to
quit smoking.

Hoefer: How is the American Cancer Society decreasing lung cancer rates?

Cahill: The American Cancer Society is committed to decreasing lung
cancer incidence and mortality rates by focusing on five major goals:
prevent youth from starting to smoke, encourage adults and youth to quit
smoking, improve access to smoking cessation treatment and services,
eliminate nonsmokers' exposure to cigarette smoke and eliminate
disparities in tobacco use and its effects.