Tobacco and cancer: how are they linked?
You might be thinking of lung cancer. While it is undeniable that tobacco increases the risk of lung cancer, it can also be responsible for many other cancers in our bodies. Is the public well-informed about the dangers of tobacco products (cigars and cigarettes) other than lung problems? As International No-Tobacco Day approaches on May 31st, health institutions around the world are mobilizing to promote knowledge about quitting smoking in order to keep people safe from the dangers of tobacco. It has been proven that the smoke that emanates from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes has at least 70 chemicals that can cause cancer. At least 250 of the thousands of chemicals found in tobacco smoke, such as hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia, are known to be toxic.
The most common cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths is tobacco use. Not only are tobacco products prone to causing lung cancer, but the larynx (voice box), mouth, esophagus, throat, bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas, colon, rectum, and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukemia, are some additional types of cancer that the chemicals in tobacco products may cause. Nearly every organ and system in our body suffers from the smoke of tobacco products, causing severe damage to our general health. There is absolutely nothing safe in the use of tobacco products, especially when it’s prolonged during one’s lifetime.
The high level of addiction to smoking comes as no surprise today. The drug that fundamentally creates this addiction is nicotine, a drug that is naturally found in tobacco. Nicotine dependence makes it difficult to stop smoking and is harmful even for those who are not addicted to it. A lot of people prefer to believe that smoking one or two cigarettes a day is not harmful. Over the course of a lifetime, this can cause numerous other health problems, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, lung illness, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Tobacco and Cancer Types
- Bladder;
- Blood (acute myeloid leukemia);
- Cervix;
- Colon and rectum;
- Esophagus;
- Kidney and renal pelvis;
- Liver;
- Lungs, bronchi, and trachea;
- Mouth and throat;
- Pancreas;
- Stomach;
- Voice box (larynx).
Tobacco use can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body.”
Risks of Tobacco Smoke For Non-Smokers
Numerous substances found in tobacco smoke are dangerous to both smokers and nonsmokers. Even a small amount of tobacco smoke has a number of risks that can affect the body. Also known as secondhand smokers, people involuntarily inhaled smoke from tobacco products, either from the smoke given off by a burning tobacco product or from the smoke exhaled by a smoker. Additionally, secondhand smoking irritates the lungs and has an immediate negative impact on the heart and blood vessels. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, and other illnesses. Children with asthma may experience severe asthma crises as a result of being exposed to smoke. As a result, children’s lungs grow slower when exposed to secondhand smoke, which can also make them cough, wheeze, and feel out of breath. Conclusion: Run from tobacco smoke because even if you don’t smoke, your health is still at risk.
Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Medical professionals and health organizations have been spreading the advantages of quitting smoking among millennials. But, let’s be honest, there is no need to be a genius to understand the positive effects quitting smoking has on your body.
- Less risk of developing various types of cancer, such as lung, mouth, kidney, and bladder cancer among others;
- Reduced risk of heart disease;
- Improves overall health and quality of life;
- Reduced risk of chronic lung disease;
- Lower risk of infertility, and miscarriage;
- Decrease the number of secondhand smokers;
For children:
- Lower risk of premature death;
- Lower risk of ear infection;
- Lower risk of bronchitis and other lung problems;
- Becoming smokers themselves.
Additionally, giving up smoking allows people to spend less money on this harmful health habit. It is never too late to stop smoking, regardless of how long you have smoked or how young you were when you started. The sooner you stop, the easier it will be to have a healthy life. Your health will thank you later! Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps smokers can take to reduce their risk of developing cancer. Lung cancer, stomach cancer, mouth cancer, bladder cancer, cervix, colon, and rectum cancers are just a few of the 12 cancers that smoking cessation may help lower the risk of developing.
If you smoke and have been diagnosed with cancer, you need to stop immediately to increase your chances of recovering while lowering your risk of passing away from the disease. Your body will be better able to recover and respond to therapy when you stop smoking. You will have healthier lungs and a lesser chance of having other complications that cancer may cause. Last but not least, quitting smoking may reduce your risk of experiencing a cancer relapse. It goes without saying that tobacco continues to be one of the main causes of many cancers.
The Falcon Memorial Cancer Institute (FMCI) is dedicated to lending a helping hand in this battle against cancer. The FMCI seeks to support and assist anyone who has been affected by cancer. FMCI aims to provide financial support to cancer patients in Mauritius and abroad, as well as funding cancer research, purchasing medical equipment to treat cancer in hospitals, and maintaining a strong effort to massively raise cancer awareness.