Smoked when i was about age 15 to 21, then quit, now 59, can i still get cancer from almost 40 years later after quitting from that time i did smoke? always been curious and look forward to some answers on this. thank you?

When smokers quit smoking, the risk of lung cancer starts to come down with each passing year for the next 25+ years. Since it is 40 years gap for you, your risk is down to a Non-smoker's risk. Remember, Lung can can develop even in Nonsmokers(15% of all lung cancers).. So have an annual check up.

First of all, congrats for quitting smoking at such a young age! Second, although you still could get lung cancer (even non-smokers get lung cancer from air pollution, genetics, exposures to toxins, etc), it would not be due to your past smoking history. Enough time has passed that your lungs are equivalent to a non-smoker.

Agree with Dr. Webster. You risk from prior smoking has been mitigated with time. You can reduce your risk of cancer by adopting healthy habits: Eat a mostly vegetarian diet, avoid alcohol, tobacco and street drugs, avoid excessive exposure to sun, maintain healthy weight, exercise 30 minutes each day, drink enough water so your urine is mostly colorless. Wish you good health!