Smoking & Cancer Data
Although nearly everyone is aware of the fact that smoking causes cancer, many people are not aware to what extent. According to the American Heart Association, smoking cigarettes is the most common preventable cause of death throughout the United States. It is responsible for around one in five deaths every year. Cancer was one of the first diseases to be linked to smoking. Compared to non-smokers, men smokers are 23 percent more likely to develop some form of cancer than non-smokers and women smokers are 13 percent more likely to develop cancer than non-smokers.
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Smoking and Lung Cancer
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Of all the types of cancer that smoking can lead to, the most common is lung cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, in the U.S. alone, 90 percent of lung cancer cases in men and around 80 percent of lung cancer cases in women are caused by smoking. Smoking low-tar or low- or light-nicotine cigarettes does not reduce the damaging effects. Roughly 5 percent of new cases diagnosed with lung cancer are caused due to secondhand smoke.
Smoking and Cancers of the Mouth and Throat
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There are a number of types of cancers of the mouth and throat, including cancer of the gums, tongue, lips, throat, tonsils, salivary glands, palate, tongue and gums. Smokeless tobacco has also been linked to cancers of the gums, cheeks and inner lips. In 2007, the National Cancer Institute reported around 30,000 new cases of cancers of the mouth and throat in the U.S.; these diseases cause more than 7,500 deaths annually.
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Smoking and Cancer of the Esophagus
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The esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Although cancer of the esophagus is not as common as cancer of the lungs, it is still high on the list of risk factors for smokers. Cancer usually starts in the cells that line the esophagus. According to the National Cancer Institute, it affects 12,000 to 18,000 people in the United States each year. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, food getting lodged in the esophagus and blood in the stools.
Smoking and Stomach Cancer
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The chance of contracting cancer of the stomach is almost doubled in smokers. Smoking increases the risk of cancers of the upper portion of the stomach. Stomach cancer is connected to the growth of bacteria Heliobacter pylori that grows within the stomach lining and causes serious infection and ulcers. Symptoms may begin with weight loss and nausea and develop to abdominal pain, vomiting and blood in the stool.
Smoking and Breast Cancer
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In 2004, The International Agency for Research on Cancer reported that there was little or no risk between smoking and breast cancer, however more recent studies have shown that this is not the case. Researchers at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto have found that there is a strong link between smoking and breast cancer and evidence to link breast cancer to secondhand smoke.
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