Genetics
Cancers Linked to Tobacco
Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer)
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Urinary Bladder
The greatest risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking. Smokers are more than twice as likely to get bladder cancer than nonsmokers. Tobacco causes about half the deaths from bladder cancer in men and over one third of bladder cancer deaths in women. Some of the carcinogens in tobacco smoke get into the bloodstream through the lungs. The carcinogens are filtered by the kidneys and can build up in the urine. These chemicals damage the cells that line the inside of the bladder. This damage increases the chance of developing cancer.
Adult Acute Leukemia
Many people know that smoking is responsible for cancer of the lungs, but few people realize that it can affect cells that do not come into direct contact with smoke. According to the American Cancer Society, smoking causes about 20% of leukemias. During the past few years, we have come to understand how changes in DNA can cause normal bone marrow cells to transform and become leukemic cells. For more information on this, look in the section on Genetic Damage.
Cervical Cancer
Tobacco's harmful chemicals affect other organs besides the lungs. They have been found in the cervical mucus of women who smoke. Scientists believe that these substances cause genetic damage in the cells of the cervix, which leads to the development of cancer. Women smokers run twice the risk of getting cervical cancer as nonsmokers.
Cancers of the Oral Cavity & Oropharynx (Mouth), Larynx & Hypopharynx (Throat), Esophagus, and Stomach
Tobacco use is the most important cause of cancer in these parts of the digestive system. The more a person smokes (or chews) and the longer a person uses tobacco, the greater the risk of developing cancer in one or more of these areas.
About 90% of people with these types of cancer currently use or have used tobacco. Tobacco smoke from cigarettes, cigars, or pipes can cause cancer anywhere in the digestive tract from the mouth to the stomach.
Pipe smoking has a greater risk of developing cancer in the area of the lips, which come into contact with the pipe stem.
Chewing tobacco in particular causes cancers of the cheek, lips, and gums.
We know that using tobacco products causes irritation of the cells in the lining of the mouth and esophagus, which increases the risk of developing cancer.
Tobacco and nicotine cause the stomach to produce more acid, and after time this high level of acid can irritate the stomach lining and lead to ulcers and sometimes cancer.
The DNA of the cells in these areas can become damaged and abnormal cells can form. Then, the abnormal cells can grow to form a tumor. The cells may spread into other organs in different parts of the body.
Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer)
Smoking increases the risk of developing kidney cancer from 30%-100%. Scientists believe that smoking may be responsible for 1/3 of the kidney cancers in men, and 1/4 of those in women.
Progress has been made in understanding how tobacco puts smokers at greater risk for developing kidney cancer. The harmful chemicals found in cigarettes are absorbed into the bloodstream from the lungs. Because the kidneys act as filters to clean the blood, a lot of these chemicals get trapped there. Some of these chemicals cause damage to the cells in the kidneys, causing them to become cancerous.
Cancer of the Pancreas
About 30% of pancreatic cancer victims are smokers. Smoking is the most important risk factor for cancer of this type. Using tobacco can damage the pancreas, which can become red and swollen. Smoking also causes DNA damage that can lead to the formation of cancerous tumors.
Lung Cancer
The most well known type of cancer directly linked to tobacco is lung cancer. More than 80% of lung cancer is the result of smoking. Cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking have almost the same risk factors for developing cancer.
Nonsmokers who are forced to breathe in the smoke of others also have greater risk of developing lung cancer.
The poisonous chemicals in smoke are taken into the lungs. These chemicals cause damage to the DNA of cells in the lung. The changes produce damaged genes that can no longer correctly control cell growth. This can lead to cancer.
Sometimes the cells can repair themselves, but not always. Scientists are now working to design tests to detect cancer sooner, and to develop treatments that correct the genetic damage and the problems it causes.
Visit our web site regularly to find out the most recent developments on cancer!