The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly one third of all cancer deaths in this country are tobacco-related. Tobacco smoke contains at least 43 substances that cause cancer. It causes almost 90 percent of lung cancers among men and more than 70 percent among women. In addition to lung cancer, tobacco smoke can lead to cancers of the mouth, esophagus, kidney, bladder, pancreas, uterus, and cervix. Many researchers are now studying whether smoking cigarettes can also lead to skin cancer, particularly around the mouth and neck. No matter how long you've been smoking or how old you are, stopping smoking can add years to your life and greatly reduce your risk for cancer.

If this doesn't convince you to stop smoking, consider your loved ones who share your home and your surroundings. In 2001, researchers at the University of Minnesota were the first to provide scientific evidence that tobacco smoke exposure could increase a child's risk for lung cancer. A separate study also showed that nonsmoking women exposed to tobacco smoke in their homes metabolize a tobacco-specific substance called NNK, which could increase their risk of lung cancer.

And it's not just cigarette smoke that causes cancer. Smoking cigars and chewing tobacco, or snuff, is just as damaging to your health as cigarettes and can lead to lung cancer and cancers of the lip, tongue and mouth. Cigar smoking also appears to be linked to cancer of the pancreas and bladder. Talk with your health care provider for tips or strategies to help you quit using tobacco products.*

Tobacco and Cancer Links

• Don't Be Fooled by Smokeless Tobacco (Health Talk & You column, Academic Health Center)
• Smokeless tobacco more effective than cigarettes for delivering dangerous carcinogens into the body, researchers say
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HealthBeat interview with Cancer Center's Stephen Hecht: Audio (MP3) Text
• Secondhand smoke poses risk to children's health (Health Talk & You column, Academic Health Center)
• Carcinogens from cigarette smoke found in toenails
• Heavy smokers who cut back still take in more toxins than light smokers
• U of M researchers find cancer-causing chemicals in urine of infants whose parents smoke
• U of M study shows nicotine vaccine has promise for helping smokers quit
• Study finds secondhand smoke in bars and restaurants leads to increased levels of cancer-causing toxins in workers
• 'Reduced risk' claims of modified tobacco products challenged by research report
• U of M cancer center study finds light, ultra-light, and regular cigarettes are all equally bad
• Smoking out a killer: University researchers are demystifying tobacco's role in causing cancer (Medical Bulletin, Minnesota Medical Foundation)
• Masonic Cancer Center research related to tobacco and cancer: Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center
• American Cancer Society: Tobacco and Cancer
• American Lung Association: Quit Smoking
• National Cancer Institute: Tobacco and Cancer

*Adapted from "Make a Resolution to Help Prevent Cancer," an article by DeAnn Lazovich, M.P.H., Ph.D., Co-Program Leader for the Cancer Center's Prevention & Etiology Research Program. The article was written for Health Talk & You, which is published by the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center.