Why Smoking Tobacco Causes Lung Cancer

Why Smoking Tobacco Causes Lung Cancer

Why Smoking Tobacco Causes Lung Cancer

We all know that smoking cigarettes is dangerous. Tobacco smoke causes a number of debilitating diseases, many of which lead to an early death. And, most of these diseases produce a prolonged period of lifestyle reduction prior to death.

We probably all understand that people continue to smoke cigarettes because they are addicted to nicotine. After a period of prolonged smoking, the body requires nicotine in order to feel good. The addiction occurs when you become irritable without a supply of nicotine. The extremely quick return to a normal feeling when smoking a cigarette makes smoking one of the strongest addictions know to man.

Cigarette smoke is primarily composed of gases like nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. But, the smoke also contains over 3500 different chemical compounds. Approximately 55 of these compounds are carcinogens that can cause a number of cancerous tumors in laboratory animals or humans. At least 20 of these compounds are know to promote lung tumors in at least one animal species.

Certain compounds, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), in tobacco smoke work to promote the growth of cancerous tumors. Such compounds bind themselves to DNA, damaging the DNA. When a cell damaged in this way, attempts at replication result in a mutation and can lead to the start of a cancerous tumor.

Growth of mutated cells can often be controlled. Some cells can be repaired, others programmed for early death, and some prevented from further multiplication. But, if these mechanisms of aberrant cell control themselves become damaged, normal growth control fails and the cells multiple in an uncontrolled fashion. This is how a lung cancer develops and spreads to adjoining organs.

Other carcinogens in tobacco smoke may first undergo various chemical changes before they can bind to DNA. But, regardless of how direct or indirect the process is, the forming of a DNA adduct is the most important mechanism for the uncontrolled multiplication of mutated cells.

The good news is that less than 20% of smokers will get lung cancer. But, dodging lung cancer does not mean that the tars and other compounds in tobacco smoke will not take their toll on lung function. Many people without lung cancer require oxygen and have drastically reduced lifestyles due to cigarette smoking.

The best advice is to stop smoking. After 5 years of non-smoking, your risk of lung cancer is greatly diminished. Though it never reaches to low level of risk of a person who never smoked, quitting today is the best defense against the uncontrolled multiplication of mutated cells we call lung cancer.

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