Is cigarette smoking associated with other cancers?
Yes. Strong associations between cigarette smoking and cancers of the mouth, tongue, throat, voice-box (larynx), swallowing tube (esophagus) and pancreas have been proven.Also, there is good evidence that smoking is associated with bladder cancer. This is a reasonable finding, since the same carcinogens that cause lung cancer also affect the mucosal lining of the entire respiratory tract and enter the blood and are excreted in the urine. For more information on other cigarette associated cancers from Joshua Ellenhorn MD, from the City of Hope National Medical Center. May 11, 1996: The Los Angeles Times reported this week that Bret Butler, popular center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers has squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and will undergo further surgery and radiation therapy for treatment of this disease. Butler used chewing tobacco for a three year period and quit when he found that children were chewing tobacco to emulate him. My knowledge of the carcinogenicity of smokeless tobacco, also called chewing tobacco and snuff is limited, but I have been able to find a few sites on the WWW that have excellent information on this topic. Anti-tobacco activist Don Young describes his personal struggle with laryngeal cancer at Don Young CIGARETTE SMOKING CAUSES CANCER. AND SO DOES SMOKELESS TOBACCO! Former Beatle Says Smoking Caused His Throat Cancer George Harrison, a former member of the Beatles, has recently recovered from throat cancer. A combination of radiation therapy and surgery performed last August have removed the lump on his neck, first noticed last summer. Early detection and surgery stopped the cancer from progressing, but Harrison believes the throat cancer was caused by his use of cigarettes. Harrison commented, "I got it purely from smoking. I gave up many years ago but had started again for a while and then stopped in 1997." Harrison added, "I'm not going to die on you folks just yet . . . I am very lucky."
Source(s): INDIANAPOLIS STAR, (6/30/98) "George Harrison Has Treatment For Cancer,", Associated Press Frederic W. Grannis Jr. M.D If you have trouble contacting me with the address above, I may also be reached at 76516,2333@compuserve.com and at fgrannis@cris.com |