Does Smoking Really Cause Cancer?

Now, we know you’ve probably heard all or most of what’s in this blog before; however, we think that a recap is always appropriate – especially for something as important as smoking and its potential to cause life-threatening cancer. In this post, we’ll answer a few common questions, including: how common is it to get cancer from smoking, do all smokers get cancer, and how does smoking lead to cancer?

What Is Cancer, Anyway?

Here at Suncoast Surgical Associates, we talk to many people each month who are battling cancer – but not all of them knew exactly what cancer was before their diagnosis. So, let’s do a quick recap on what cancer actually is.

“Cancer refers to diseases in which abnormal cells divide out of control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems, which help the body get rid of toxins.” - CDC.gov

To take this a step further, cancer cells have something wrong with their genetic coding – their DNA – that makes them not only grow out of control but also not self-destruct in response to this out-of-the-ordinary growth. Normally, healthy cells will undergo something called apoptosis or will be targeted by immune cells for destruction if they fail to follow the strict rules the body has in place.

Now, you can probably see where this is going: when the cell’s microscopic instruction booklet (DNA) gets disrupted, many many different things can go wrong – including cancer.

How Common Is It to Get Cancer From Smoking?

So, do all smokers get cancer? Well, not exactly. As we mentioned above, only some types of DNA disruption are going to cause cancer. In fact, there are many other signs of cell destruction and cell death in the body of a smoker that you can’t necessarily see – but they didn’t all lead to cancerous masses.

However… the risks are still big enough to be scary! From 1965 (when the first surgeon’s general warning was released about cigarettes) to 2014, there have been approximately 20 million unnecessary, early deaths in the United States due to cigarettes.

Twenty. Million.

An estimated, whopping 40% of all cancer types are related to smoking, and almost nine out of ten people with lung cancer currently smoke or smoked cigarettes in the past.

How Does Smoking Lead to Cancer?

As you might be noticing, the theme here is DNA disruption. However, that’s only a piece of the pie. The other component is that smoking adversely affects the immune system. Remember how we said the body usually targets rogue cells for destruction? That can’t happen if your immune system is being suppressed. These two things work together to form a literally deadly combination.

What Are the Other Risks of Smoking?

Aside from cancer concerns, smoking can also cause a host of other problems:

• Tooth decay and gum disease
• Chronic dry mouth or bad breath
• Vision problems
• Permanent lung damage
• Cardiovascular damage
• Fertility issues
• Delayed wound healing
• Osteoporosis
• And much more…

What Is “Secondhand Smoke”?

However, firsthand smoking isn’t the only threat. Secondhand smoke is also a very real problem for those around the smoker. “In the United States, more than 7,300 nonsmokers die each year from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.” - CDC.gov

How Do I Quit Smoking?

We don’t think smokers necessarily want to keep smoking, given all of the risks. However, smoking is an addiction and makes it incredibly – nay, monumentally – hard to stop. Most doctors will recommend tapering off and using support from patches, gums, and other products in the process. On the other hand, some people are able to quit “cold turkey” after a good health scare.

Regardless, getting in touch with some resources and learning more about the adverse health effects of smoking can be incredibly helpful in your journey to quit smoking.