TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Dr. Alex Ginting S, SpP(K), a pulmonologist from the RSPAD Gatot Soebroto hospital, said that most cancer sufferers are either active or passive smokers. He said that active smokers are 13.6 times likely to suffer lung cancer while the latter is four times likely to suffer from cancer.

“Passive smokers that often visit cafes [that have smokers present] or smoking areas for hours every day are four times likely to suffer from cancer,” said Alex.

However, he maintained that there is a chance that an active smoker might not even suffer from lung cancer since people’s genetics vary with each other.

“It depends on their gene; some are weaker against certain risk factors. We cannot detect a direct link between the two, which is why we call it a risk [not cause] but there are correlations between the two,” said Dr. Alex.

The doctor hopes that society, in general, can be able to maintain a healthy lifedata-style to avoid sustaining cancer and urged people to educate each other regarding the dangers of smoking and the risks that come with the habit.

The Globocan 2018 data reveals that lung cancer is suffered by the largest number of people across the globe compared to other types of cancers. In Indonesia, 14 percent of every mortality rate are caused by lung cancer.

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