Emed News

Each year, more than 440,000 Americans die of tobacco-related disease, accounting for 1 in every 5 deaths. Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 30% of cancer deaths annually in the United States.

According to the 2004 Surgeon General's Report, The Health Consequences of Smoking, tobacco causes an increasing number of deaths from cancers of particular concern to women, including lung, cervical, and ovarian. Scientific evidence also suggests a causal relationship between smoking and colorectal adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancer. Epidemiological studies exploring a possible link between smoking and breast cancer have yielded inconclusive results, although animal, human biomarker, and in vitro cellular studies strongly suggest that tobacco carcinogens may be involved in breast cancer development. Tobacco use also causes leukemia and cancers of the bladder, esophagus, kidney, larynx, oral cavity, pancreas, and stomach.