Cigarette Smoking and Cancer - Research Paper Example

Cigarette Smoking and Cancer Abstract Cancer is one of the most common diseases which claim the lives of thousands of people around the globe today. People used to die of communicable diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery among other related diseases way back in the past. Today cancer claims more lives than the renowned HIV/AIDS with most cases of the same disease reported in the developed world. Some time before the disease became a common occurrence in the global perspective, cancer used to be known as the rich man’s disease since it mostly affected the rich men and women in the society. Today, the disease is prevalent among many people irrespective of the economic or social backgrounds of the individuals in question. Both the poor and the rich alike suffer from the disease. There is however no known medical cure for cancer since its inception to date and so the medical experts always insist on preventive measures as the best ways of controlling the common cases of cancer around the globe. There are different kinds of cancer depending on where the infection occurs for instance stomach cancer, lung cancer, cancer of the small and the large intestines among others. Cancer as a disease can be said to be caused by feeding habits among different people across the globe. The trends in consumption and nutrition characteristics often affect the kind of diseases that people often suffer from. The current nutrition trends among various people are the primary cause of the rampant cases of cancer as (Doll et al, 2005) notes. Today, with the increased technological advancements across the globe, the nutritional patterns have changed significantly as people try to adjust to the technological changes. Junk foods are common phenomena; practices such as smoking of cigarettes are as well very common among various categories of people of different caliber and economic status. Smoking cigarettes has also been closely associated with several types of cancer such as lung cancer among others. Introduction Cigarettes contain several constituents such as tar, caffeine and carbon components which are very harmful to human health. Cigarettes have been closely related to cancer disease in many occasions by the scientists and medical experts. Smoking of cigarettes is mostly linked to cancer of the lung which affects the lung tissues. Some other kinds of cancer linked to smoking include cancer of the colon (Kuper et al, 2002), pharyngeal cancer (Baron, 1984), laryngeal cancer (Schlesseman, 1982) among others. In 1982, the American surgeon general reported that cigarette smoking has remained the most common cause of death among many Americans claiming the lives of one out of every five Americans. For this reason, tobacco smoking was rated the major cause of deaths in America more than other death indicators such as accidents, nutrition among other factors. However, tobacco use and cigarette smoking are adopted behavior rather than a medical condition thus are actually the easiest factor that can be controlled among people in order to curb the cases of cancer development and occurrences. United States has been the leading region in terms of cancer attacks and cancer deaths. Spatially, regions such as Japan, Europe among other developed countries of the world have been reported to be among the regions which are most affected by cancer cases other than America. Even though cigarette smoking has been considered the main risk factor for lung cancer, the factor has also been said to have several other effects on the body of human beings as experts have found out in Japan (CDC, 2012). Some of the diseases which have been linked to cigarette smoking other than lung cancer include; cancer of the stomach, colon, and rectum. Studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control and prevention in America in the year 2011 indicated that about 43.8 million adults in America were cigarette smokers by then. This accounts for 19% of all adults, with 21% of this being men and 16.5% of them being women. Ethnic wise, the research found out that smoking prevalence in America was as shown in the table below: Ethnic group No. of smokers (%) Whites 20.6 African- Americans 19.4 Hispanics 12.9 American- Indians/ Alaska Natives 31.5 Asian Americans 9.9 Multiracial people 27.4 The report also indicated that the most affected group was the younger generation of between 25 and 44 years of age with a smoking prevalence of 22.1 % against 7.9% of the adults of over 65 years of age presenting as well another important pattern in the American context. Literature review Jemal, Thomas, Murray and Thun note that lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world today and the leading causative agent for most of the deaths occurring in America today (Jemal, Thomas, Murray and Thun, 2002). Doll reports that lung cancer killed about 34000 people in Europe in the year 2000 (Doll, 1996). A research carried out by American Cancer Society found out that, about 87% of cases of lung cancers occurring around the world are due to cigarette smoking and that cigarette smoking causes about 30% of all cancer deaths in the more developed countries (American Cancer Society, 2012). This concurs with De Stefani et al observations by terming cancer as the rich man’s disease being common in the developed countries and among the rich in the developing world. In addition to lung cancer (Stefani et al, 1992; Hecht, 1999) notes that tobacco smoking also accounts for the cases of oral oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, laryngeal and oesopharyngeal cancers besides those of the pancreas, cancer of the bladder, and renal pelvis cancer. Besides, as smoking is well associated with cancers of the nose, stomach, liver, colon, renal body, and cervix as well as the myeloid leukemia (Kuper, 2002). According the survey carried out in the USA by Baron, prevention came out as the main way of reducing lung cancer mortality and morbidity. The most appropriate stage of preventing cancer is in the early stages where people begin to smoke (Baron, 1984). According to Perneger the most important step in cancer prevention is preventing people just when they start smoking (Perneger, 2001). He notes that it is easier to prevent people from smoking at this stage than at a later stage when they have been rooted down into smoking since smoking cigarettes is an addictive practice. Lung cancer is rated the most prevalent cause of deaths in New Zealand than any other types of cancer such as the bowel and breast cancer (Schlesselman, 1982; Bonn, 1999; Baron, 1984). Bonn notes that an estimated number of people dying from lung cancer in New Zealand are about 1700 patients mainly caused as a result of cigarette smoking (Bonn, 1999). This constitutes about 23% of all cancer deaths in the region. However, these cancer levels have been noted by scientists and other medical experts to be decreasing in men with no indication of clear decline noted among women all over the world (CDC, 2004), smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and productivity losses, United States, 2004). Stefani et al notes that secondhand smokers are equally in danger just as the first hand smokers (Stefani et al, 1992). He defines second hand smokers as those who inhale the second hand cigar smoke from the active (direct) smokers. He says that the second hand smokers are in even worse danger as compared to the first hand smokers given the nature of their vulnerability. These people directly inhale the contaminated cigar smoke released by the active smokers due to the lack of any form of filter as in the case of the active smokers. They are therefore more exposed to the more harmful by- products of the cigar smoke even more than the active smokers. Second hand smokers or passive smokers are said to be vulnerable to lung cancer, cancer in the back of the nose commonly referred to as the nasal sinus cancer as well as other types of cancer such as upper aero- digestive cancer among others (CDC, 2004). Discussion As has been noted above cancer is one of the most common diseases in the world today, claiming the lives of millions of people around the globe. Like HIV/AIDS, cancer as a disease has no well known cure and so the most effective way of preventing the occurrence of the disease among people in the society is to emphasize on the preventive methods rather than the curative measures. Cancer occurs in different types depending on the area on the human body that has been attacked by the disease. As a result, several types of cancer have been noted such as lung cancer, stomach cancer (cancer of the small intestines and cancer of the large intestines- commonly referred to as the colon cancer), breast cancer among other types of cancer known to the medical experts on recent. The causes of cancer are variable and range from feeding habits for instance the use of junk foods common among various people around the world today, exposure to radioactive substances and high frequency waves such as microwaves used in ovens as well as the smoking habit. Lung cancer, which is the main topic of discussion in this article is solely caused as a result of smoking of cigarettes. As has been mentioned earlier in this bulletin, cigarettes have various components such as tar and caffeine which pose a lot of dangers to human health. Cigarette smokers therefore are more exposed to lung cancer than the rest of the world population. Both the active (direct) smokers and the passive (indirect/ second hand) smokers are almost equally vulnerably to the disease since these by-products of cigar smoking have almost an equal direct impact on both parties. Although cigarette smoking is also associated with other types of cancer such as the cancer of the stomach, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer among other types of cancer, it is the major cause of lung cancer among all types of smokers in the world. Cigarette carcinogens A carcinogen is defined by Kuper et al as any agent, chemical, physical or viral that causes cancer or increases the incidences of cancer. Cigarette smoke has over 4000, identified chemicals 60 of which are well known carcinogens which have a high potential of causing cancer among these cigarette smokers (Kuper et al, 2002). An assessment by an international agency for research on cancer indicates that these identified 60 chemical carcinogens are the primary causative factors for lung cancer in cigarette smokers. The research also graded these carcinogenic factors depending on their potential to cause cancer in smokers. It identified chemical carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), N-nitrosamines and aromatic amines as the most dangerous carcinogenic factors responsible for the spread of lung cancer in smokers. Perneger says that although these are the major carcinogenic factors responsible for lung cancer in smokers, they occur in very small quantities in the cigarette smoke, about 5- 200ng per roll of cigarette (Perneger, 2001). Other carcinogens in cigarette smoke also responsible for lung cancer are the aldehydes and other volatile organic compounds for instance benzene and butadiene which are considered the most volatile cancerous agents. Perneger adds that carcinogens form the link between nicotine addiction and lung cancer. He notes that nicotine is the main reason people continue smoking and is the main contributory factor to cancer prevalence (Perneger, 2001). Thus, nicotine, is however not considered a carcinogen in any way but can at certain instances induce cancer tumors under special conditions for instance hyperoxia. Stefani et al notes that nicotine can as well be converted into other carcinogenic factors such as NNK in the body (Stefani et al, 1992). Doll asserts that cigarette smoking is the most disastrous source of nicotine injected in the body of a human being (Doll, 2005). Over sixty carcinogens including PAHs and NNK always accompany the cigarette smoke in just a single puff. This dose as the American Cancer Society has noted may seem to be very small in the individuals involved, the cumulative effects however over a person’s lifetime bear the greatest responsibility for lung cancer (American Cancer Society, 2012). Even though some people may also claim not being affected by the disease despite the heavy smoking habit, the length of time over which one has been smoking cigarettes is also found to be determining factor in the occurrence of the lung cancer cases. The more one smoke cigarettes therefore, the more he risks contracting lung cancer. Those who begin smoking when still young have the greatest risk of suffering from lung cancer. Tar production in cigarettes and lung cancer Tar is one of the by-products of cigarette smoking alongside other products. However, tar has been one of the products most associated with lung cancer min cigarette smokers. Tar is a substance (by- product of cigarette smoking) which forms a sticky deposit on the walls of the respiratory channels. This deposit keeps on growing in size and thickening as one continues to smoke over time. Tar deposition sometimes may have an extension to the lungs of an individual where its effects are more felt with regard to the cases of lung cancer. The lung is composed of spongy tissues with several air spaces commonly referred to as the air bags, air sacs or alveoli (Perneger, 2001). The alveoli form the sites for gaseous exchange in mammals. That is the oxygen- rich air always diffuses through the thin walls of the alveoli into the bloodstream as the carbon carrying air diffuse outside thought the same process. This movement is what constitutes the respiratory process in man and what makes breathing possible (Hecht, 1999). The gaseous exchange process is the sole life determinant in human beings since it provides the energy required in carrying out the metabolic processes such as digestion, assimilation of digested food substances etc. in human beings. The failure of this process is the cause of death in any living organism. Dead organisms do not respire and therefore do not carry out the gas exchange process. Tar has been found to be inhibiting the gaseous exchange process by a large percentage especially after its accumulation in the respiratory system for a long period of time and this is the major cause of lung cancer among the smoking individuals (Kuper et al, 2002; Doll et al, 2005; Stefani et al, 1992). Tar deposits have been linked to the reduced size of the air spaces as well as the lowering of the number of air bags in the lung. This happens in heavy smokers who have been smoking over a long period of time. The high mount of tar, the sticky substance gets deposited on the walls of the air sacs, or alveoli reducing their size. Some alveoli as well get blocked as a result of the complete deposition of the substance on their inner walls (CDC, 2012). This reduces the number of air channels or passages through the lungs lowering the efficiency and effectiveness of the lung to carry out the vital function of gaseous exchange. When the walls of the alveoli are reducing thickened, the passages of air in and out of the lungs, what primarily constitutes the respiratory process are inhibited. As a result, the less oxygen will be injected into the blood stream and the less carbon dioxide is removed from the body tissue. The body of a human being acts in a way that it is supposed to balance the amount of oxygen within the tissues and that outside the tissues. The same happens to the carbon dioxide which is considered a toxic gas in the body. The body therefore tries to adjust to these conditions by ensuring that all the carbon dioxide generated in the body is removed out and that the body receives the maximum amount of oxygen for maximum metabolic reactions to take place and for the maximum production of energy necessary for carrying out the daily activities. This adjustment process then will make other organs such as the lungs and the heart to work even extra hard, more than they are designed to operate in order to ensure that the balance is maintained. Where the balance cannot be achieved, the person involved will be forced to coax the respiratory system leading to the cases of constant cough among the heavy smokers. This is the onset for the development of lung cancer among these individuals. The coughing process is a mechanism through which the walls of the alveoli are getting rid of the thick deposits of tar to create the pathways for the passage of air and to ease the respiratory process. Once the tar deposit is removed by coughing, the passage is opened and the air passes through easily. Continued deposition of the tar on the alveoli walls leads to the growth of cancer tumors and the consequent development of the cancer cells resulting in the development of lung cancer in cigarette smokers and tobacco users. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention noted an anomaly in the smoking trends in cigarette smokers and tobacco users. He notes that current smokers are more likely to die from lung cancer as well as having higher chances of contracting the disease more than life- long non- smokers and users of tobacco products (CDC, 2012). He further indicates that the risk of dying from lung cancer as a result of cigarette smoking and tobacco use is mostly determined by the number of cigarettes one smokes in a day. The larger the number, the more risky ne is exposed to these circumstances and vice versa. However, the UK Cancer research maintains that it is the length of time over which an individual has been smoking cigarettes that has the greatest determination in the occurrence of lung cancer in an individual since this leads to the long term accumulated effects (UK Cancer Research, 2010). A longitudinal study carried out by two British doctors, Doll and Peto showed an examination of the effects of long time cigarette smoking in an individual and lengthened cessation on mortality from cancer diseases. The examination indicated that if people who have been smoking for a long time quits smoking even when they well advanced in age, for instance if the person under question began smoking in childhood and quits the habit during the middle ages, he or she is likely to cut short the risk of contracting lung cancer by about 90%. The study also indicated that those who quits smoking before middle age avoids the risks of contracting cancer by a larger margin than those who extends past the stage. However an abnormal occurrence is always registered in these studies where people who have been smoking for a long time and who have been warned to quit smoking especially after being diagnosed with lung cancer continue to smoke with an estimated percentage of between 13 and 60 percent (Cancer Research, UK., 2010). Trends in lung cancer prevalence The trend in the occurrence of lung cancer among various individuals around the globe indicates a reduction in the occurrence of the disease especially in men with a peak realized in 1980. However, the trends in the women have been increasing substantially from 1970s and with a leveling off in the recent years with no recognized downward trend in the future (Doll et al, 2005). Women therefore remain the most affected by the disease as compared to men with regard to gender. This has been attributed to the low immunology in women as compared to men. Women are found to be less resistant to several diseases lung cancer included. Some of these are active smokers while a majority of the women diagnosed with cancer of the lungs are actually passive smokers. These have indicated a close association with the active smokers especially their male counterparts who are in most cases their spouses. This then proves how risky it is for the passive smokers to be suffering from cancer as compared to the active smokers. The low immune system in women probably adds to their vulnerability as compared to the men min the same categories that have been exposed to such conditions. The disease has also shown an upward trend in the younger generation as compared to the older generation. The young people of the age between 25- 44 have been the most affected by lung cancer most of whom are males (CDC, 2004). This is attributed to the increase in the number of young age smokers of late. Many young people are going into cigarette smoking as compared to the older generation mainly due to peer influence and addiction. Since cigarette smoking and tobacco use are the most common factors contributing to the occurrence of the disease, the younger generation is more affected than the older generation (Bonn, 1999). Region wise, cases of cancer are still more prevalent in the developed countries more that in the developing world. This is due to the kind of lifestyle adopted by these people for instance, about 75% of Americans are considered to be potential smokers thereby increasing their chances of contracting lung cancer more than those in other regions (CDC, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion, it is good to reiterate here that current researches rates cancer as the leading cause of death in the world more than any other type of disease known around the world today. There are several types of cancer depending on the area of infection for instance, a cancer of the lungs, commonly known as lung cancer attacking the lungs and the respiratory section in human beings, the stomach cancer which affects the stomach walls, the small intestines as well as the large intestines, among others. The causes of lung cancer have been found to be numerous. However, smoking of cigarettes and the use of tobacco remains the central cause for the disease. References Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012). Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. New York: McGraw. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2004). Smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and productivity losses, United States. New York: Prentice Hall. Bonn, D. (1999). More warnings given to teenage smokers. London, Cambridge University Press. De Stefani et al. (1992). Hand-rolled cigarette smoking and risk of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx. 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