Stop Smoking – Relationship Between Cancer and Smoking

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Stop Smoking – Relationship Between Cancer and Smoking

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

: Image via Wikipedia

by Ralph Ferriss

There is strong evidence that suggests that people who smoke cigarettes on a regular basis for a long period of time are at an extremely high risk of developing larynx and lung cancer. Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly how it is that smoking causes these types of cancer, as it is not yet understood clearly.

Normal cells may be damaged, but they have the ability to repair themselves. In other cases, the cells are sloughed off and eliminated by the lymph system, then replaced by new ones. But this process can go awry.

Sometimes new cells begin to grow into odd, unnatural shapes and as a result do not carry out their normal tasks properly. When this unnatural growth becomes a big enough problem that the body cannot handle it, it has officially become cancer.

Many of the substances that are found in cigarette smoke have been proven to be carcinogenic.

When the paper in a cigarette burns, it releases tar. Each cigarette tends to contain between 10 and 14 milligrams of tar. This tar collects in the tiny air filled sacs of the lungs, called alveoli, where oxygen is usually transferred into the blood. The presence of tar in the alveoli irritates the cells and eventually leads to their unnatural growth.

Nitrosamines are another compound and are also present in cigarettes. Hundreds of different studies administered with small mammals have proven that these compounds are also carcinogenic. Nitrosamines such as NNK, NNN, and NAT are all present in cigarette smoke in extremely small amounts, about 56.53 nanograms.

A few dozen nanograms (one billionth of a gram – 1 g = 0.0353 oz) may sound like a small amount. But sometimes small amounts can have a large effect. Dog’s noses, for example, are so sensitive they can detect a few molecules of certain substances. Some systems in humans are equally sensitive to certain chemicals. Add to that the fact that many of the compounds and their effects are cumulative and the case begins to look very strong.

Medical research has found no relation between smoking one or two cigarettes on a daily basis and the development of cancer. It is also true that very few smokers smoke so few cigarettes every day. The truth is that a twenty year smoker who takes in a pack of cigarettes every day has a two to four times higher risk of developing larynx or lung cancer than someone who does not smoke.

About the Author:

Searching for an easy method to stop smoking? There are a ton of products and systems that claim to be the best at showing you how quit smoking but how do you know which is junk? Visit the How To Quit Smoking website at http://www.howquitsmoking.com to learn more about the best ways to get that monkey off your back.