Most people link smoking with lung cancer, but the damage goes much further. Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, and at least 70 of them cause cancer. These toxins don’t just stay in your lungs, they move through your blood, reaching almost every organ. In India, the problem is huge.
Dr Amish Vora, Medical Oncologist, Director, HOPE Oncology Clinic, says, “Data from the Indian Council of Medical Research shows that tobacco use is tied to nearly one out of every four cancer cases. While lung cancer is the most talked about, tobacco also drives many other cancers that often go unnoticed.”
Bladder Cancer
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The body tries to flush out toxins from smoking, but that process has its own risks. As the kidneys filter the blood, some chemicals end up sitting in the bladder, in direct contact with its lining. Over time, this raises the risk of bladder cancer. Smokers are two to three times more likely to get bladder cancer than non-smokers.
Pancreatic Cancer
The pancreas sits deep in your gut, quietly doing its job. Smoking nearly doubles the risk of pancreatic cancer. The harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke can trigger genetic damage in these cells, and this cancer is tough to spot early and even tougher to treat.
Stomach and Liver Cancer
Smoking weakens the stomach’s natural defenses, making it more open to infections and inflammation that can lead to cancer. The liver, the body’s main detox organ, also takes a hard hit. Smoking increases inflammation and raises the risk of liver cancer over time.
Head and Neck Cancers
In India, tobacco use causes a huge wave of cancers in the mouth, throat, tongue, and voice box. These head and neck cancers account for 30-40% of cancers among Indian men, according to the National Cancer Registry Program. The effects can be devastating, eating, speaking, and even smiling can become painful or impossible. Smoking isn’t just a lung issue, it’s a whole-body problem. The same toxic chemicals that damage the lungs hit the bladder, pancreas, stomach, liver, mouth, and throat.
But there’s good news here. The body starts to heal within days of quitting, and the risk of cancer drops the longer you stay smoke-free. Quitting smoking protects every part of you, not just your lungs.
It’s simple: knowing the facts can help you make the choice. Every cigarette affects your whole body, but stopping can save it.
National Tobacco Quit Line Services (NTQLS)
The Government has established a National level tobacco cessation Quitline in Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI), New Delhi with a toll free number (1800-112-356) and the services have been expanded to regional satellite centres since 2018 and counseling is now available in regional languages at Dr. Bhubaneshwar Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati; National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore; and Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai.
To quit tobacco, call 1800 112 356 (toll free) or give a missed call at 011-22901701.
(This article is based on information available in the public domain and on input provided by experts consulted.)
