Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Published : November 13, 2019 4:24 PM IST
Your risk depends on how many years you have been smoking and how many cigarettes a day. © Shutterstock
Smoking has, for long, been linked to many cancers. Health professionals say that this habit can give a person almost 14 to 15 different kinds of cancer including cancer of the mouth, pharynx (upper throat), nose, sinuses and larynx. It may also increase your risk of liver, stomach, kidney, pancreas, bowel, ovary and bladder cancers. In some cases, it may even cause leukaemia. According to the World Health Organisation, smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. In fact, this premier organisation says that almost 80 per cent of lung cancer cases are because of smoking.
Researchers at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center say that lung cancer is the leading cause of preventable cancer death. According to them, this disease is the result of smoking. Along with this, various genetic variants may also cause it. One of these genetic components is a chromosome named 15q25.1, which is seen as a leading influencer of susceptibility to lung cancer, smoking behaviour and nicotine addiction.
Researchers found two main pathways involving the mechanism by which the chromosome 15q25.1 influence lung cancer risk. They say that 'the first pathway is an interaction pathway in the nervous system that influences nicotine dependence. The other pathway can control key components in many biological processes like transport of nutrients and ions, and the human immune system. The results have been published in Nature Communications.
Smoking is, no doubt, dangerous. But so is inhaling second-hand or even third-hand smoke. According to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, children who are exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke have an increased risk of developing lung cancer in adulthood. This risk is there even if these children never smoked as adults.
As we have already said earlier, smoking can cause many cancers. But it can also give you heart diseases and other kinds of lung diseases. Other health effects are respiratory disorders, hypertension, macular degeneration, bronchitis and it may even cause infertility problems. Smoking may also lead to osteoporosis and early menopause and damage blood vessel walls. Another side-effect of smoking is that it can make you look old.
But the good news is that you can also bring down this risk significantly if you stop smoking. Your risk depends on how many years you have been smoking and how many cigarettes a day. The longer you smoke, the higher will be your risk of developing a serious ailment. Researchers from the University of Birmingham say that people in early stage of lung cancer can double their chances of survival over five years if they stop smoking. This study is published in the British Medical Journal.
Cigarette smoke is carcinogenic. Smoking can damage the cells that line the lungs. The chemicals in the smoke enters the bloodstream too. The effects are immediate and serious. Initially, your body may be able to repair the damage. But, over time, it loses its ability to do so and the result is cancer and other serious complications. But if you stop this habit, you will notice positive changes almost immediately.
