Is There A Connection Between Smoking And Mouth Cancer?
There is certainly a link between smoking and mouth cancer
. Actually, all kinds of tobacco use are linked to different forms of cancer, even smokeless tobaccos. Cigars and cigarettes alike can cause sores in and around the mouth which can be the beginning stages of mouth cancer. There has also been proof of late that many suffer from cancer caused by second hand smoke as well. There are ingredients in cigarette and cigar smoke which are cancer causing agents.
Smoke is inhaled into the lungs, but it can also be absorbed into the body through other tissues. The inside areas of the mouth and nose have the types of tissue that absorbs the types of contaminates which are contained in the smoke from both cigars and cigarettes.
Along with being a primary cause of mouth cancer, tobacco can cause cancer in several other areas as well. The lungs and throat are also main targets. The voice box, lips or esophagus can all be affected negatively too. There is a very high level of risk of developing some form of cancer for those who smoke cigars or cigarettes on a regular basis. The more the smoker engages in the activity the higher the risk factor is for that individual.
The substance used to make cigars and cigarettes makes them very addictive. The body gets used to nicotine and therefore requires it. Cigars have significantly higher amounts of this addictive toxin, than cigarettes do. It would take smoking an entire package of cigarettes to get the amount of nicotine that is contained in a single cigar. Usually once smoking becomes a habit the nicotine makes it difficult for the smoker to quit. Many who try to stop smoking can go through horrible withdrawals. The fact that it is a difficult habit to kick keeps a smoker at risk for developing mouth, throat and lung cancer.
Although the smoke from tobacco is inhaled, because it passes through the throat and mouth they are equally susceptible to developing cancer. The saliva absorbs an amount of the poison contained in the smoke emitted from the cigar or cigarettes. These toxins are also absorbed into the soft tissues in the mouth and throat. Therefore there is a high risk for smokers to develop mouth cancer as well as increasing the likelihood of developing cancer in other areas.