Why did he develop lung cancer?
Compared with other smokers, those with C.O.P.D. are more likely to develop lung cancer as well.
Many animals develop lung diseases, and their throats and nostrils often burn just from inhaling their own waste.
In the same way, we wouldn't be able to say with certainty that someone would develop lung cancer just because we knew they were a smoker.
"Smokers are 10 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers, two times more likely to develop heart disease.
Even though women appear more vulnerable to tissue damage from cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke, those who develop lung cancer survive a bit longer than men with the disease.
He added that while it is possible for pastured sheep to live for 11 or 12 years, those who live indoors, as Dolly had, are prone to develop lung infections.
If we knew that one group in society were 10 times more likely to develop lung cancer, we would focus on them - perhaps with a targeted anti-smoking strategy.
"Even children who are exposed to passive smoking are more likely to develop lung conditions such as asthma or chronic bronchitis," he added.
Thus smoking is a cause of lung cancer, not because all smokers develop lung cancer, but because smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers.
Clinically and pathologically it has been observed that smokers with COPD often develop lung cancer.
