COLUMBIA, S.C. — State public health officials are using Lung Cancer Awareness Month to make a statewide pitch to smokers: try to quit now, and use the free help the state already pays for.
The numbers behind the push are stark. The state Department of Public Health said 3,275 South Carolinians learned they had lung cancer in 2024. Federal health data cited by the agency show cigarette smokers face a 15 to 30 times greater chance of getting or dying from the disease than people who never smoked.
Quitting matters even after a diagnosis, the department said. Patients who keep smoking can develop additional cancers, and tobacco can blunt how well treatment works. State cancer prevention staff said giving up tobacco helps prevent a dozen kinds of cancer.
Two dates are on the calendar. Saturday, Nov. 14, is National Lung Cancer Screening Day, when screening centers around the country open on a weekend so working people can get checked without taking time off. The Great American Smokeout follows on Thursday, Nov. 19, and asks tobacco users to quit that day or at least build a plan, even if it starts as a single smoke-free day.
The main tool is the SC Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. It runs around the clock, costs nothing and is open to every resident whether or not they have health insurance. Coaching is tailored to each caller and is meant to roughly double the odds of success. Adults 18 and older may also qualify for free patches, gum or lozenges. Help is available in several languages, with added support for pregnant women and for people with mental or behavioral health conditions. Residents can also text READY to 21586.
Screening is aimed at people at the highest risk. Under federal task force guidance posted by the department, a yearly low-dose CT scan is recommended for adults 50 to 80 who have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history and who still smoke or quit within the last 15 years. A pack-year equals one pack a day for a year, so 20 years at one pack daily counts the same as 10 years at two packs daily.
The department notes the scans carry some risks, including false alarms that lead to extra tests, finding cancers that would never have caused harm, and radiation from repeat scans. That is why it advises people to talk with a doctor first, and it stresses that a scan does not replace quitting.
From the HERE City State Desk
Filed under: Spartanburg SC Health News
