Colon cancer and smoking

Smoking increases the risk of developing colon cancer for two main reasons. First, by inhalation or ingestion of tobacco smoke, carcinogens are transported to the colon. Second, tobacco use appears to increase the size of existing polyps. If there are larger polyps more likely that they become cancerous.Studies indicate that 12% of colorectal cancer deaths attributable to smoking. Long-term smoking is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer even after counting known risk factors such as race, body mass index and the presence of disease in family history.

Detrimental role of smoking on colon
Negative effects of smoking can be found especially in the mouth, lungs, throat and esophagus. However, the toxins are spread systemically. Carcinogens are disseminated throughout the body. When inhaled tobacco smoke is swallow these chemicals and mix with saliva or blood stream and reach the colon.
Inspired toxins from smoking can influence cellular changes leading to cancer. If you leave cigarettes now, you still have an increased risk of developing colon cancer due to smoking, but nothing like the one who will be present for those who continue to smoke. Tobacco use has been shown to be increased incidence of colon polyp formation, two to three times.

Colon cancer can be caused by smoking?
This is evidenced by various studies. Reports have shown not only that smoking increases the risk of colon cancer, but that there is a percentage between 30-40%, that people who smoke to die from colon cancer.
Risk of developing colon cancer increases with the number of years and the amount of tobacco used. If you leave immediately smoking, colon cancer risk begins to drop.
Guilty not only cigarettes
If you chew tobacco risk is as high as with cigarette smoking. When it comes to colon cancer, both tobacco and nicotine are carcinogenic and increase the risk of developing colon cancer.
Using any type of tobacco increase the risk of developing colon cancer, regardless of the method: smoking hookah, cigar, passive exposure, pipe, chewing.

How to quit tobacco
Certainly not easy to quit smoking. Therefore, there are plenty of programs that can support that. They involve the use of medicines obtained without a prescription, support and even drugs such as varenicline and buproprion, that can help you stop smoking. If you stop smoking you:

• ask your doctor for help
• seek the help of loved ones for support
• replace smoking breaks with a healthy habit (such as walking outdoors, etc.).
• consumed during that you were smoking, healthy foods like carrots or hard candy
• subscribe to local support groups
• stay away from old habits and friends that might lead to smoke (in the initial phase, when the desire to resume tobacco use is still fresh)

To help, the doctor may ask you a series of questions related to smoking habit – has the answers to be honest, because the specialist can help you stop smoking. Among his questions might include:

• how often you smoke
• when you first started smoking
• how old are you smoking
• how many cigarettes you smoke per day
• What are the forms in which tobacco enter the body.

Smoking and colon cancer treatment
If you have been diagnosed with colon cancer and the treatment was successful or if treatment is ongoing, it is not too late even now to stop smoking. Smoking can thwart your treatment efforts.
Chemotherapy and radiation are sometimes used to treat colon cancer. If you smoke during any type of treatment, there are probabilities that the treatment is not as effective.
Smoking can increase the severity of treatment complications such as dry mouth or wounds, weight loss and fatigue. Following surgery, a smoker may suffer more postoperative lung complications. Smoking decreases your body’s ability to heal wounds, which can lead to infections and increased time spent in hospital.
If you are scheduled for surgery for colon cancer such as bowel resection, talk to your doctor about the benefits of smoking cessation. Consider quitting smoking at least six to eight weeks before surgery to provide as many benefits to your health.

Screening
Smoking increases the lifetime risk of triggering colon cancer in people who smoke compared with those who do not smoke. Follow the doctor’s recommendations related to preventive investigations.
Depending on your age, health status and medical history, the specialist can apply various types of screening to check the health of your colon. The objective is to detect colon cancer before it causes symptoms or before polyps grow in size.
Studies
Results of new studies reinforce evidence that people who smoke for long periods of time have an increased risk of colorectal cancer, even after failing to reduce other risk factors. This should give you a reason to not smoke or to quit smoking as soon as possible.
The research demonstrated that this type of cancer is among the 17 types of cancer associated with smoking, including there: cancer of the mouth, pharynx, nasopharyngeal, the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, colorectum, liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder, lower urinary tract, the uterus, cervix, and myeloid leukemia.