| It has long been known that smoking and lung | | | | Kidney cancer is another cancer where smokers |
| cancer are causally linked. After having discovered | | | | are seen less frequently than non-smokers in the |
| this association though, much has been made of | | | | statistics. |
| the heightened incidence of other forms of cancer | | | | The next disease we shall look at is the |
| caused by of smoking. I am going to highlight the | | | | non-cancerous, chronic obstructive pulmonary |
| data that reiterates the claims and suggest that | | | | disease or COPD. The disease manifests itself |
| the evidence is not so strong for other forms of | | | | mainly in two forms, being emphysema and |
| cancer being causally linked with smoking. The | | | | chronic bronchitis. |
| evidence is analysed from the mortality statistics | | | | Emphysema is the destruction of the lung leading |
| for the UK in 2002. | | | | to loss of surface area, alveoli (air sacks in the |
| I will work through the statistics because 26% of | | | | lungs) and the loss of elasticity. Chronic bronchitis |
| the population are smokers and so one might | | | | manifests itself through swollen bronchii and over |
| reasonably assume that any incidence of cancer | | | | production of mucus within the lung. It is |
| where less than 26% of sufferers are smokers | | | | characterised by daily coughing, bringing up |
| may have other more prevalent causes than | | | | sputum. Both emphysema and bronchitis lead to |
| smoking. | | | | slow, debilitating and frustrating deaths for their |
| Firstly, we will deal with the cancer deaths so lets | | | | victims. |
| get underway with the 33,600 deaths from lung | | | | Deaths from COPD in 2002 in the UK numbered |
| cancer. 84% of these deaths were in smokers. | | | | 28,500 of which 84% were smokers |
| This means that the average 26% of the | | | | demonstrating a clear link between the inhalation |
| smoking population yielded more than three times | | | | of tobacco smoke and the disease as is the case |
| the proportion of deaths - a clear link. | | | | with lung cancer. |
| Oesophageal cancer deaths numbered just under | | | | Some sources suggest that pneumonia is more |
| 5,000 and the deceased were found to be 66% | | | | likely to kill in smokers but only 17% of the |
| smokers, 71% and 65% men to women | | | | 36,000 fatal pneumonia cases were found in |
| respectively; again another clear link that smoking | | | | smokers suggesting this is not the case. |
| and oesophageal cancer are linked. | | | | Finally, heart disease is the biggest single killer in |
| Next, bladder cancer takes over 1,800 lives per | | | | the UK with over a quarter of a million deaths a |
| year of which 37% are found to be smokers. | | | | year as a result of its various forms. |
| However, only 19% of female cases were | | | | Of all the major forms of heart disease, ischaemic |
| smokers compared with 47% of male cases. It is | | | | heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, aortic |
| fair to assume that there are other factors more | | | | aneurysm, myocardial degeneration and |
| prevalent in female bladder cancer other than | | | | atherosclerosis, the percentage of smokers |
| smoking but the link is clear in men. | | | | suffering from aortic aneuryism was just under |
| Stomach cancer took 1,650 lives in 2002 but is | | | | 60%. All other forms of heart disease showed |
| found in 35% of men compared with only 11% of | | | | near 26% or below. This suggests that smoking |
| female smokers. It is reasonable therefore to | | | | may not be the main contributory factor but it |
| draw the same conclusion about the causes as | | | | almost certainly will have had an impact. |
| for bladder cancer between men and women. | | | | All in all, there were over 114,000 premature |
| Pancreatic cancer is another cancer that is less | | | | deaths in 2002 from cigarette smoking, mostly |
| prevalent in smokers than the general population. | | | | from cancer, but also from heart disease and |
| Indeed 20% of men and 26% of women dying | | | | pulmonary (lung) disease. The best way to |
| from the disease in 2002 were smokers, | | | | improve ones chances of not suffering from a |
| suggesting parity with women and a disparity with | | | | shortened life and succumbing to one of the |
| men. It may be reasonable therefore to assume | | | | diseases mentioned in this article is by quitting |
| that there are other contributory factors in male | | | | smoking once and for all. Benefits have been |
| pancreatic cancers. | | | | clearly documented and the sooner smokers quit, |
| Death from cancer of the upper respiratory tract | | | | the bigger the benefits of quitting become on |
| was found at a rate of 66% in smokers, nearly | | | | their life expectancy. Indeed, smokers who quit |
| three times the percentage of smokers. Note | | | | before they reach thirty, statistically negate |
| though that women sufferers represented half of | | | | virtually all the ill health effect of smoking and can |
| their cohort compared with three quarters of | | | | generally expect to live as long as a non-smoking |
| men, suggesting upper respiratory cancer is more | | | | contemporary. |
| likely in men than in women smokers. | | | | |