If you know someone with COPD/cancer from smoking can I ask you some questions?

[LoftySnail]

If you know someone who smoked and was diagnosed with COPD or a smoking related cancer, can I ask?

1. What age were they when they was diagnosed?
2. How many years had they smoked for?
3. How many cigarettes a day did they roughly smoke?

I ask this question as my close friend quit smoking last year aged 30 after smoking roughly 5 per day since university and I wonder sometimes if she will be able to escape the smoking related illnesses as she gets older?

My friend seems to think because she was never a heavy smoker she has got nothing to worry about.

She is at increased risk but that does not mean she will definitely develop COPD or lung cancer.

I think she is right in there is no point worrying as she can’t change the past.

The risk decreases each year she stays off cigarettes. After 10 year I think the risk is halved compared to if she stayed smoking. That’s why it’s never too late to stop.

My dad died at 70 from small cell lung cancer. He smoked between the ages of 20 and 63. Varying amounts of cigarettes per day depending on stress levels. He had quit for 5 years before diagnosis and died 3 years after he was diagnosed.

Conversely my maternal grandmother smoked far more heavily, for a longer period (she went cold turkey at 80) and died aged 98 of "old age" without a smoking related illness in sight.

What are you hoping to achieve by posting this? What’s done is done, and berating them for the years they smoked isn’t going to help anyone. Your friend has already done the best possible thing for their health by stopping smoking, and that is a huge achievement that should be celebrated.

Smoked fairly heavily from age 18 until 35. Diagnosed with smoking related lung cancer at 68.

Currently in hospital with COPD (emphysema) and a pretty serious case of pneumonia. Aged 62 and a smoker (fairly heavy) since 16. Actual diagnosis last year but that's because I avoided doctors.

my sister stopped smoking at the millennium, has developed COPD, but not as bad as mine.

There are alot of cases of people with COPD that never smoked,
For a number of reasons,
But there are alot of cases coming up now, who were children in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and living in households where adults were smoking inside

Mum was 60 when diagnosed. She started smoking (pretty heavily) at 14. She smoked very heavily all her adult life. Averaging over 100 a day. She was the only person who was surprised when she was diagnosed.
Your friend is young and assuming she’s not vaping, and starts exercising every day, should eventually regain most of her cardiovascular fitness, but there will still be some permanent damage done to her lungs - but it will be pretty minimal.

I'm 46. I was diagnosed at the age of 37 of COPD. I started smoking at 15 approx 20 a day. My own stupidity so something I have to live with. I just hope I live long enough to see my children settled

My Mum died of bowel cancer and copd aged 70. She smoked from 15-60 - gave up at 60 after developing copd. She smoked 40 a day.

My Gran also smoked 40ish a day from 11 to 80 when she died and never had any breathing issues. Died of bowel cancer.

My dad has smoked from 11, he chain smokes, couldn’t even tell you how many. He’s 86 and never been to the doctors for anything more than an ingrown toenail. Still works full time as a chief executive and still drives etc.

It’s all a lottery really. Obviously not smoking at all (like me) is better but there’s no set rule about any of it.

I don't think spreading doom and despair to your friend is likely to help her. Congratulate and support her for deciding to quit.

My aunt smoked approx 20-40 a day from 14-55. Gave up due to terrible hacking cough. Diagnosed with copd aged 60 which deteriorated to the point of being on permanent oxygen and extremely vulnerable by aged 85. She died aged 92 after a stroke.
My father smoked from age 14. Never gave up. Chainsmoker. Had a hacking cough from his 40’s. Diagnosed with lung cancer aged 63 and died a few months later.

The short version is that smoking after age 35 is a ticking time bomb, you are just storing up problems for the future. Before that, possibly got away with it.

Having said that you never know what is round the corner. I quit age 29 and at 36 I was diagnosed with a rare disease, unrelated, but a sporadic gene mutation nonetheless, who knows.

Those Vegan Guys on youtube released a video about his COPD diagnosis a couple days ago. It may be worth a watch and he is usually quite responsive so I would ask questions in the comments. He was recommended mullien leaf to help him and says it really has made a difference.

You sound a bit disappointed that she thinks her risks are now low and that she is happy. Do you want to rain on her parade and make her feel worse? She has done something amazing. Let her enjoy it.

My Nan gave up smoking when she was 50. She’s 91 now and has COPD. She’s had it for about 25-30 years. She’s ok though, not on oxygen or anything but can’t walk long distances.

My dad smoked 20-40 a day from 15-50 when he dropped dead from a heart attack - cancer and COPD are not the only issues . I was diagnosed with COPD aged 50 , likely due to all the second hand smoke from when I was a child + a quite severe pectus excavatum and I’ve never personally smoked / vaped and lived in a smoke free home from my early 20s . Neither of my siblings have lung problems though .

My mum was a very heavy smoker from a young age. Before she was diagnosed with COPD at 67 she was smoking around 30-40 a day. She gave up when diagnosed with COPD. At 68 she was diagnosed with lung cancer and died aged 69.

My in-laws smoked like chimneys and lived to 92 & 87 respectively with no smoking related illnesses. My friend’s dad died under 60 from lung cancer and he never smoked. It was caused by passive smoking. You never know what might happen.

Impossible to tell, genuinely. Roy Castle died of lung cancer and never smoked a cigarette in his life.

Does she give you reason to believe she might have issues? As in does she have a smoker’s cough? Tons from our generation and before smoked and while these illnesses are of course present, it’s in no way a given.

Smoked from 20s, gave up for a while and then started again in late 30s/40s (can't remember now). Didn't smoke many a day (2 or 3 I think). Mouth cancer first diagnosed at 66, treated and then returned at 70. Extensive surgery and supposedly all gone, but she's now nil by mouth indefinitely. I think it's likely to come back and unsure she'll be well enough for more surgery (or agree to it at this point).

MIL was diagnosed with COPD about 60 she’d smoked 20-40 a day since she was 15 and she carried on smoking. But she also had Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, a blocked heart artery and was diagnosed with dementia a couple of years later. All round she was a very ill woman, and some of it was probably caused by smoking.

But my Dad smoked 60-70 a day from 16-35. He gave up at 35, has never smoked again is now 78 and super healthy not a sign of COPD or lung cancer thankfully. I think the earlier you give it up the better.

i was told i have COPD i am not sure how long ago, 5 years perhaps? , i take inhalers and smoked from 15 to 43 or so.
now vape

I have COPD with small airways disease plus something called mosaic attenuation.
I was 14 when I started smoking. Mostly rollups. 20-30 + a day. When I could afford packs I'd smoke a pack of 20 or more a day. I smoked for over 25 years and was diagnosed during covid lockdowns so 4 years ago ? Ish?