What Cancers Can You Get From Smoking

Smoking and Cancers

Most likely, the first answer that comes to your mind is lung cancer. And sure enough, you’re probably right. Lung cancer is caused by smoking, but it’s not the only disease that you can get from it. If you’re a chain smoker, you run the risk of getting over a dozen other cancers, aside from the damage to your lungs. You may incur cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, liver, pancreas, stomach and even the cervix.

You may ask why, when some of the cancers mentioned are not even directly related to smoking, the cervix for example. The reason is pretty simple. Tobacco and cigarettes contain many different cancer-causing substances called carcinogens. When inhaled, this smoke spreads throughout your body, thereby spreading its destructive nature everywhere. Through years of research, studies have concluded that these chemicals present in the tobacco and cigarettes can damage the DNA structure within your cells. When the natural rhythm & growth of the cells in your body are disturbed, they grow out of control, multiply unsparingly thereby causing the cancer. So the scientists figured that this is how cancer is caused by smoking.

At this point, you may wonder why sometimes, there are people that you know who have lived very healthy lives and are non-smokers and yet succumb to cancer caused by smoking. On the other hand and surprising even, there are heavy smokers who have lived past the prime of their lives though you expect them to be high-risk candidates for cancer, whether of the lungs or otherwise. The answer lies in the natural immunity and prolonged resistance of people to certain diseases. Some are more susceptible while others are not. However, this natural immunity does not change the fact that chain smokers are ‘better’ candidates or have a higher possibility of getting the disease. If not lung cancer, which has the highest mortality rate among cancer diseases, they are prone to smoking-related diseases. Smokers are even estimated to die in their middle ages, even fortunate enough if they last until they’re in their 70’s and 80’s.

How then do you prevent the cancers caused by smoking? One major step that can also be one of the most important decisions in your life is to stop smoking. You already know that cancer is caused by smoking. When you stop, you not only help yourself but the people that surround you, whether you know them or not. Second-hand smoking also kills, if you didn’t know. It’s understandable that it’s going to be a long and arduous process for you to give up this addiction. However, the moment that you discover and accept the reason and motivation behind your smoking, getting past the hurdle of actually giving up will seem like a breeze. There are support groups that you can approach if you think you won’t be able to handle the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting. Remember, there are more reasons to quit than to stay addicted.

Author: Dr. Mark Clayson

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