Smoking and cancer
There are over 7,000 compounds in cigarette smoke, of which hundreds are harmful, and at least 69 carcinogenic substances are known, and in addition to carcinogenic substances, there are also carcinogens. There are also thousands of harmful substances in the smoke following the burning of tobacco, as is active and passive smoking. Tobacco use is a serious threat to human health, leading not only to genetic malignity mutation, but also to the acceleration of genetic damage and the slowing down of genetic restoration, leading to cancer.
Tobacco use is clearly carcinogenic.
A large number of epidemiological studies have confirmed that smoking is closely related to lung cancer and is considered to be the primary risk factor for its occurrence, in particular lung cancer and lung cancer in small cells. As is well known, both the incidence of lung cancer and mortality have declined significantly in the United States as a result of smoke control operations. Among the smokers, lung cancer is more than 10 times more dangerous than non-smokers, and the more smokes are smoked on a daily basis, the higher the risk of cancer and the dose-effect relationship, which, according to statistics, can be as high as 45 times if more than 35 are smoked on a daily basis. Worse still, the mortality rate among smokers will rise. More than 80 per cent of deaths from lung cancer each year are caused by smoking, including second-hand smoke. Among male lung cancer deaths, smokers are 8 to 20 times more likely than non-smokers. The risk of lung cancer is higher for groups of smokers with historical exposure to asbestos, arsenic and nickel. The study found higher levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smokers, which can metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from cigarettes and turn them into cytotoxic and genetically mutagenic substances. Smoking inhibits the activity of natural lethal cells (NK cells) in the body, resulting in immunity escapes for tumour cells, thus contributing to their growth. As a result, smoking not only increases the incidence and mortality of lung cancer, but is also closely related to the occurrence of many cancers, such as larynx, tongue, edible, nasal, stomach, bladder, colon, kidney, pancreas, cervical, etc. Worse still, studies have shown that smoking by pregnant women can affect the development of the foetus, cause mutations in its genes and increase the incidence of cancer among its children.
Hazard of smoking among cancer patients
There are a large number of studies that confirm that tobacco use not only increases cancer-specific mortality, but is also associated with its adverse health outcomes, deaths and increased risk of secondary cancer. There is also evidence that smoking can increase the risk of cancer re-emergence, reduce the response to treatment and increase the toxicity associated with treatment. Among cancer patients, smoking can affect the metabolism of chemotherapy and target-to-drugs, and studies have shown that smoking can alter the timing of drug clean-up through cytochrome P450 enzymes and the plasma concentration of drugs, affecting their efficacy, such as the chemotherapy drug Iridikon, the target-to-treatment drug Erodini, and the Bendamostin. For patients on treatment, smoking can increase the occurrence of complications during treatment, while reducing the patient ‘ s response to treatment and may increase the risk of a second primary cancer. In the case of post-operative patients, smoking increases the occurrence of post-operative complications, delays in the healing of surgical knives, affects their quality of life, prolongs hospitalization and increases surgical-related mortality.
In summary, smoking, whether active or passive, is a serious threat to human health, and it is essential to stop smoking. At all times, the lives of those who quit are longer than those of those who continue to smoke. Studies have confirmed that cessation of smoking at the age of 50 and 60 can increase life expectancy by six years and three years, respectively. For a particular group of cancer patients, we should inform ourselves and their families of the dangers of continuing to smoke after cancer and encourage early cessation of smoking before cancer treatment.
