Letter: Lung Cancer and Smoke in the U.S

Lung Cancer and Smoke in the U.S
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers responsible for most cancer related deaths in the U.S. In males, lung cancer is only second to prostate cancer. On the other hand, lung cancer is second to breast cancer which tops the list of cancer in women. Over the years, the number of cancer cases has been on a steady rise. One of the major causes of lung cancer is linked to cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking has been the main culprit by accounting to 91% of lung cancer cases in men and 78% lung cases in women. The rest of the percentages have associated with second hand smoking and genetics. This letter will explain how smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer in the U.S. I will describe my audience in the paper as well as highlight the medium of argument I chose so that I could reach my audience. The letter will also discuss the choice in creating my argument in addition to the class collaborative process and lessons learnt from it.
In 2009, the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer was 205,974. From the 205,974 people diagnosed over half of the cases reported lead to death related from lung cancer. In other words, 158,081 deaths reported in 2009 were associated to lung cancer. A closer look at the demographics reveals that men and women are more likely to die from lung cancer as they grow older. For instance, 2% of men are likely to develop cancer at the age of 30 years. In contrast, the rate of getting cancer is ten times greater when they attain the age of 60. In women, 2% of women are likely to develop cancer at the age of 30 but are almost 10 times more likely to develop lung cancer by the age of 60. In both men and women, lung cancer is likely to develop with time as more cigarettes are consumed. Therefore, in my letter, my audience would be composed of young men and women. Cigarette smoking is habitual and tough to quit as users become addicted to it. Therefore, by sensitizing young men and women about the ills of smoking cigarettes more people will realize the need to quit smoking because of the risks associated with the practice. My target audience would consist of t...