Does Smoking Cause Pancreatic Cancer?

Smoking can cause pancreatic cancer, even the cancer is considered as one of the deadly cancer. Smoking is the number one cause of pancreas cancer. Thus, it is not impossible that a young person can die if they smoke.

Based on the research that was conducted by Michelle A. Anderson, MD, of the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor stated that the risk of pancreatic cancer in smokers is greater than non-smokers. Smoking cigarette is a major risk factor of pancreatic cancer and heavy smokers had the highest risk. During smoking, various kinds of toxins in cigarettes will be carried in the bloodstream. Poison trigger unnatural cell growth in the pancreas, which became the beginning of cancer. Therefore, pancreatic cancer remains the biggest opportunity in smokers.

Definition of pancreas

The pancreas is an organ in the upper abdomen under the stomach and adjacent to the first part of the small intestine,

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Cigarettes Are Linked To Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth deadliest cancer known as of today. This organ is located in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. Its primary function is to make digestive juices, better known as enzymes, that help the intestines break down food. Pancreatic cancer occurs when a malignant or cancerous cells grows, divides, and then spreads in the tissues of the pancreas. This is one of the most painful form of cancers there is and when it is in this area of the body, the survival rate is very low.

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Smoking and the Types of Cancer it Causes

Smoking has always been considered by many people and health experts as one of the silent killers. One's inability to manage his smoking habits could lead to a deadly vice - chain smoking. Statistics have shown that thousands of smokers worldwide are afflicted with serious illnesses brought upon by smoking. Cigarettes contain chemicals that are harmful not just to the lungs but to almost all organs of the human body. Some people have taken for granted the direct relation of smoking to cancer. They belittle the ill effects of too much smoking and, instead, sicken themselves with nicotine and carcinogens with every stick they smoke.

The most notable illness a person can get from smoking is cancer, in which lung cancer is familiar to many. The following paragraphs list and discuss the various types of cancer related to smoking. May these discussions enlighten smokers and spur them to quit smoking, the sooner the better.

Lung Cancer. One of the many types of cancer that have ever increasing rates of affliction per day worldwide, lung cancer is characterized by the damage of lungs due to the existence of deadly cancer cells. Accordingly, 90% of lung cancer cases were triggered by smoking, particularly cigarettes. The carcinogens in the cigarettes lead to the growth of cancer cells in the lungs.

Pancreatic Cancer. A person who smokes heavily has a 1:74 risk ratio of developing malignant cells in the pancreas. Those afflicted with pancreatic cancer have a 3-year survival rate.

Laryngeal Cancer. Also known as cancer of the larynx, laryngeal cancer is the formation of squamous cell carcinomas which makes the larynx cancer positive. Such cancer is characterized with persistent cough, hoarse voice, bad breath and sore throat. Victims of laryngeal cancer are mostly heavy smokers, though there are those who are heavy alcohol drinkers. Carcinogens in cigarettes and tobacco adversely affect the larynx.

Esophageal Cancer. This type of cancer is characterized by the presence of malignant tumor in the esophagus. Its other symptoms are difficulty in breathing, unexplained nausea, consistent cough and hoarseness of voice. Together with heavy alcoholic intake, smoking is considered as one of the major causes for esophageal cancer. Combining both alcohol and cigarettes increases the risk of such cancer.

The above mentioned types of cancer are just few of the many illnesses caused by smoking. Bronchitis, skin diseases, stomach pains, and hypertensions are also related to smoking. These facts reflect how deadly smoking is. Primary smokers are not the only ones who can get these diseases. Passive smokers are also susceptible to these illnesses since they also inhale the cigarette smoke. The sad fact is that passive smokers are victims of primary smokers.

One should realize that smoking is not good. It can kill you and those around you. Quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do, but if one has the determination and discipline to quit, it can be done. It takes a long process, but it can be done. The day to start quitting is now, because tomorrow may be too late.

Dr. Ivan Wilson is a neurologist and had been working with Pan American Health Organization for 7 years.He pours down his thoughts on to his website; Log on for the latest feeds now; Smoking Leads to Cancer [http://www.whytostopsmoking.com/smoking_leads_cancer.html]

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Pancreatic Cancer and Smoking

Pancreatic Cancer and Patrick Swayze

Most people these days are aware of the link between pancreatic cancer and smoking. Patrick Swayze's death from pancreatic cancer helped firmly to imprint in the mind of the public the association between this deadly disease and cigarette smoking. Patrick himself recognised that his habit may have contributed to his condition. Even so, Patrick continued to smoke and was often photographed smoking in public. He even lit up as he left the clinic where he was receiving treatment. Patrick was diagnosed with stage IV disease. At this stage of the diagnosis, the cancer has already spread from the original tumour site rendering a cure almost impossible. Often the cancer has already spread when symptoms of the disease become obvious. In fact just over 50% of pancreatic cancer sufferers have metastatic disease at diagnosis. Perhaps Patrick became fatalistic. I suppose there was little point in quitting after such a grim prognosis. He probably thought that he didn't need the added stress of undergoing nicotine withdrawal. And although I am fervently anti-smoking I can sympathise with his predicament.

Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

This cancer carries a bad prognosis and only 5% of sufferers will survive beyond a year and median survival is only 5 months. This median time, in relation to cancer, means that 50% of patients are dead 5 months post diagnosis. Less than 2% of patients make it beyond 5 years. Patrick survived 20 months following his diagnosis. This may have been because of his lifelong regime of physical fitness, despite his smoking habit.

Smoking and Pancreatic Cancer

So what are the risk factors in contracting this deadly disease? Smoking, as discussed earlier, is considered a major cause of pancreatic cancer. Smoking has been linked to many cancers due to the fact that carcinogenic chemicals in cigarette smoke are rapidly distributed to every corner of the body by the bloodstream. Research shows that regular cigarette smokers increase their risk for pancreatic cancer by about 2 fold. The good news for ex-smokers is that risk reduces to similar levels experienced by non-smokers 15 years after smoking cessation.

Other Risk Factors

Let us be honest, it is not all about smoking. Other factors are also influential. Age, as in many cancers, has major role to play and 80% of pancreatic cancer occurs in the 60-80 age bracket. Men are more likely to develop the disease than women. This may come down to the fact that smoking incidence is higher in men. Other important risk factors include sugar diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, peptic ulcer surgery and diet. Meat rich diets increase risk, while diets high in fruit and vegetables reduce risk. Luckily, for me, neither alcohol nor coffee drinking are considered as risk factors.

When you start to smoke you never think of the consequences. This is because most smokers start young. If you start smoking at 16 you are not thinking about possible health problems that may occur 30, 40, or 50 years down the line. Bad habits in our teenage years may continue and smoking is more than a bad habit; it is an addiction. And by their very nature addictions are very hard to break.

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Smoking Related Cancer

The title of this article itself reveals why cigarettes are also called cancer sticks. It is a well established fact that smoking triggers malignancy in healthy cells. The habit of smoking is easy to start but extremely difficult to stop. No wonder, people continue to puff smoke for years which only increases their chances of falling prey to various types of cancer. Surprisingly, number of people joining the brigade of smokers is increasing. The increase in number of smokers in various countries is a cause of concern, especially when the 'C for Cancer' has been associated with it. So, it's time that smokers know about various smoking related illnesses. Following article gives a low down on cancers caused by smoking.

Ill-Effects of Smoking

The inhaled smoke of a tobacco cigarette directly exposes our body to various carcinogens (cancer causing agents). Tobacco is a carcinogen and so taking it in any form predisposes a person to its cancerous effects. It is discussed below:

Lung Cancer

Talking about smoking and ignoring lung cancer is like giving a lecture on the solar system without mentioning the sun. This is because, lung cancer is considered to be the most likely outcome of prolonged smoking. Smoking regularly gradually deteriorates lung health. The capacity of the lungs to support normal breathing starts declining due to exposure to tobacco smoke on a daily basis. No wonder, lung infections that are characterized by difficulty breathing are frequently occurring among smokers. Also, numerous studies indicate that smokers are twice likely to develop lung cancer than their counterparts (non smokers) . Although there are various causes that can trigger lung cancer, smoking is a primary contributory factor.

Colon Cancer

Colon (larger intestine) cancer also comes in the list of smoking related cancer. Research has proved that prolonged smoking also predispose a person to colon cancer risks. Higher the number of cigarettes smoked per day, higher will be the chances of contracting colon cancer. Cigarette smoking introduces smoke, which contains cancer causing substances, into various parts of the body and the colon is no exception. Thus, colon coming in contact with carcinogens on a daily basis may develop cancerous tumors. Exposure to tobacco may also lead to enlargement of polyps. Colon polyps are a lump of mass that bulges out from the inner walls of the large intestine. These harmless fleshy growth are commonly diagnosed in people who have crossed 60 years of age. Studies show that with increase in polyp size, their probability of becoming malignant also increases.

Pancreatic Cancer

The occurrence of pancreatic cancer has also been attributed to smoking. The reason behind linking pancreatic cancer to cigarette smoke is the data collected from various reliable sources that shows that quite a few patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer were smokers. Considering this fact, smoking cigarette would certainly not be considered as a wise thing to follow.

Oral Cavity Cancer

With regular smoking, oral health also takes a beating. The cancer can also strike at the oral cavity if the person does not quit smoking. Recent data suggest that approximately 2,000 individuals in New York State develop oral cancer yearly, thanks to their habit of puffing cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Smoking and alcohol consumption is accountable for three-fourth cases of oral cancer. Smoking may cause cancerous lesions to develop somewhere in the oral activity.

Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is also one of the diseases caused by smoking. The kidneys might get exposed to carcinogenic agents found in the smoke. This can make the kidneys susceptible to cancer risks. Hence smokers tend to carry higher risk of contracting kidney cancer than those who avoid smoking.

Urinary Bladder Cancer

The urinary system can also suffer from carcinogenic effects of smoking. Smoking also increases a person's risk to urinary bladder cancer. This may happen when the carcinogenic substances in the smoke combines with the urine. As the bladder stores the urine, before it is finally disposed off, there is a possibility of cancerous formation in the bladder. About 50% bladder cancer patients diagnosed every year are because of tobacco smoking. This condition is typically marked by frequent and painful urination and blood in the urine.

Cervical cancer

Studies also suggest a link between cervical cancer development and smoking. Doctors also believe that females by smoking raise their chances of getting contracting cervical cancer. Infection of HPV (Human Papillomavirus) virus, which is a sexually transmitted disease, is commonly found in the sexually active women. In the cervix, the body fights off diseases with the help of Langerhans cells. In case of female smokers, a chemical benzyrene in the tobacco smoke causes damage to these cells and the immunity is compromised. In such females, if the infection is due to the HPV strains of type 16, 17 or 31 the chances of getting cervix cancer are significantly higher than those who do not smoke. It is reported these strains are the major causes of the cervical cancer, 70% of these incidences are caused by Type 16 and 18.

Cancer of the Food Pipe

The food pipe, also referred as esophagus, connects the throat with the stomach. Studies suggest a strong relationship between frequent smoking and esophageal cancer. The cancer that strikes the food pipe due to smoking and alcohol consumption is classified as squamous cell carcinoma. Trouble in swallowing food, heart burn and blood in vomit are some of the symptoms of this type of cancer.

Breast Cancer

New studies clearly point out that breast cancer is strongly connected to breast cancer. It is the most widely occurring type of cancer in women. Women who started smoking in the early stages of life may have higher chances of showing cancerous growth in breasts. In yet another research it was observed that the habit of smoking among non obese females put them at greater risks of breast cancer in comparison to obese females smoker. This study revealed that the weight factor also influences the risk of breast cancer. The fact that post menopausal women smokers are also predisposed to breast cancer risks was also found out in the studies.

Recent studies show that inhaling cigarette smoke just once can have a negative impact on genes and trigger undesired gene mutations. On the whole, these were some of the health problems caused by smoking. With so many organs predisposed to formation of cancerous tumors due to smoking, it is absolutely insensible to start this unhealthy habit. It is clear that, to get the momentary pleasure at the cost of overlooking adverse health consequences of smoking is not a fair deal. So, stop smoking now!

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