If a person stops smoking and remains abstinent for five years, their cancer risk relative to a current smoker is best described as what?

• A. Higher
• B. The same
• C. Slightly higher
• D. Significantly lower

Answer: (D)

Stopping smoking and remaining abstinent for five years lowers cancer risk compared with continuing to smoke. When exposure to tobacco carcinogens ends, the body begins repairing damage and the ongoing promotion of cancerous changes slows. For many cancer types (such as those of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas), risk drops considerably within a few years of quitting, and by five years the relative risk is notably lower than that of someone who continues to smoke. It’s important to note that while the risk for some cancers, including lung cancer, remains higher than in never-smokers, it is still significantly reduced compared with ongoing smoking. So, five years after quitting, the overall cancer risk is best described as significantly lower than that of a current smoker.