Tobacco.org

• Tobacco is India's biggest cancer worry 

Tobacco use is fuelling a cancer epidemic in India, making cancers of oral cavity (mouth) and lung the top two cancers in men.

More than 10 lakh people develop cancer in India each year. The disease is projected to rise five fold — 2.8 times because of tobacco use and 2.2 due to ageing — by 2025, shows population-based cancer registry data from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Other causes include unhealthy lifestyle and pollution. . . .

Lung cancer is the most common in men — 17% new cases and 23% deaths.

Smokers are up to 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. “Tobacco use is the single-largest preventable cause of cancer and discouraging use the most cost-effective intervention,” says Dr GK Rath, chief, Rotary Cancer Institute, AIIMS.

“Tobacco kills 10 lakh people a year, more than AIDS, murders, suicides, alcohol and drug abuse put together.”

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World Cancer Day 

On February 4, CDC joins people, organizations, and government agencies around the world in supporting the fight against cancer. Each year, 7.6 million people die from cancer worldwide; many of these deaths can be prevented.

On February 4, CDC joins organizations around the world in supporting World Cancer Day to promote ways to reduce the burden of cancer. Each year globally, 12.7 million people learn they have cancer, and 7.6 million people die from the disease. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease; it kills more than half a million Americans every year.

A Global Concern

More people die from cancer than from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. The World Health Organization projects that without immediate action, the global number of deaths from cancer will increase by nearly 80% by 2030, with most occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

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• Surveillance of Demographic Characteristics and Health Behaviors Among Adult Cancer Survivors — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2009 

Results: An estimated 7.2% of the U.S. general population aged ≥18 years reported having received a previous cancer diagnosis (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer). A total of 78.8% of cancer survivors were aged ≥50 years, and 39.2% had received a diagnosis of cancer >10 years previously. A total of 57.8% reported receiving an influenza vaccination during the previous year, and 48.3% reported ever receiving a pneumococcal vaccination. At the time of the interview, 6.8% of cancer survivors had no health insurance, and 12% had been denied health insurance, life insurance, or both because of their cancer diagnosis. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was higher among male cancer survivors (23.4%) than female cancer survivors (14.3%), as was the prevalence of diabetes (19.6% and 14.7%, respectively). Overall, approximately 15.1% of cancer survivors were current cigarette smokers, 27.5% were obese, and 31.5% had not engaged in any leisure-time physical activity during the past 30 days. Demographic characteristics and health behaviors among cancer survivors varied substantially by state.

Interpretation: Health behaviors and preventive health care practices among cancer survivors vary by state and demographic characteristics. A large proportion of cancer survivors have comorbid conditions, currently smoke, do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity, and are obese. In addition, many are not receiving recommended preventive care, including cancer screening and influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations.

Public Health Action: Health-care providers and patients should be aware of the importance of preventive care, smoking cessation, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight for cancer survivors. The findings in this report can help public health practitioners, researchers, and comprehensive cancer control programs evaluate the effectiveness of program activities for cancer survivors, assess the needs of cancer survivors at the state level, and allocate appropriate resources to address those needs. . . .

Health Behaviors

Smoking

Approximately 15.1% of cancer survivors aged ≥18 years in the 50 states and DC were current cigarette smokers (Figure 1). Smoking prevalence among cancer survivors was highest in Oklahoma (23.9%) and lowest in California (10.3%). Regional differences also were observed, with the highest prevalence in the South (17.2%), followed by the Midwest (15.8%), Northeast (15.1%), and West (13.0%). . . .

Despite significant decreases in cigarette smoking since 1980, a 2011 CDC study indicated that 20% of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years in the general population currently smoke (47), compared with 15% of cancer survivors in this report. Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, resulting in approximately 443,000 deaths annually (47). Cancer survivors are at increased risk for subsequent cancers, including tobacco-related cancers (48,49). Adverse health conditions from smoking include compromised cancer treatment efforts, delayed healing after surgery, and impeded recovery of optimal daily functioning (48). In this report, current smoking was reported by cancer survivors and varied substantially by state; however, certain states, such as California and Massachusetts, had a relatively low prevalence.

The low smoking prevalence among cancer survivors in California and Massachusetts is partially attributable to implementation of the long-running comprehensive tobacco control program in California and mandated tobacco cessation coverage in the Massachusetts Medicaid program (47,50,51). Because of the hazardous effects of smoking, especially among persons with cancer, promotion of smoking cessation and initiation of smoking prevention measures among cancer survivors are especially important. . . .

Conclusion

A large proportion of cancer survivors have comorbid conditions, and many are not receiving recommended preventive care, not only for cancer screening but for influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. Furthermore, many cancer survivors currently smoke, do not participate in adequate physical activity, and are obese. Health-care providers and patients should be aware of the importance of preventive care, smoking cessation, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight among cancer survivors, factors that have been linked to longer survival and better quality of life among cancer survivors, as well as to decreased risk for new and recurrent cancer. Health care for cancer survivors should include improvements in pain management and a written treatment summary (including follow-up instructions). Modification of health behaviors among cancer survivors would be facilitated by increasing insurance coverage and access to care.

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Erlotinib dose-adjusted for smoking status effective as first treatment for head and neck cancer 

Head and neck cancers respond well to the anti-cancer drug erlotinib when it is administered before surgery and a stronger dose is given to patients who smoke, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM.

Erlotinib is an oral anti-cancer drug that can slow a tumor's growth and spread by inhibiting specific growth receptors on the surface of the cancer cells. Early detection of a patient's response to EGFR inhibitors, such as erlotinib, is critical to personalizing head and neck cancer treatments.

In a first of its kind study in patients with head and neck cancer, researchers sought to determine how well tumors unaffected by other therapies respond to erlotinib, when the drug dose was adjusted according to the patient's smoking status. It has been recently shown that smokers metabolize the drug faster than nonsmokers.

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Smoking in a Bangalore hotel? Not anymore 

Non-smokers can breathe a sigh of relief. The reason: The Bruhat Bangalore Hotel Owners Association (BBHOA) has decided to implement the guidelines laid down by the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) regarding eateries and directed city-based hotels owners to restrict people from smoking inside hotels.

On the occasion of World Cancer Day on Saturday, the association decided to set up 'smoke-free zones' inhotels. According to COTPA (revised in 2008), smoking may be permitted only in smoking zones in restaurants, bars and pubs.

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Collective efforts urged to eliminate use of gutka, chhalia 

Claiming that frequent consumption of chhalia (betel nuts), gutka and tobacco was behind the increasing cases of oral cancer, speakers at a seminar on Saturday suggested that a civil society and city administration coalition be initiated to eliminate their use in the city.

One of the speakers said that even babies were indirectly exposed to hazards due to their mothers’ consumption of gutka and mainpuri — concoctions of betel nuts, tobacco, lime, flavouring colourants, catechu and some other ingredients.

The seminar was held to mark the World Cancer Day by the administration of District Central in collaboration with a couple of nongovernmental organisations, and to highlight the hazards of gutka and mainpuri on human health.

Participants were told that Pakistan was one of the 15 countries of the world which housed two-thirds of the world tobacco users.

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60% of lung cancer patients in UAE are smokers — expert 

* The Genomics Centre noted there is a lack of national strategies to treat or prevent cancers in the Arab communities.

Dubai: Lung cancer is the most common cancer among Arab men and the only way to tackle this is for men to give up smoking, a medical institution in Dubai has warned.

A report released on World Cancer Day on Saturday by the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies points out that cancer is the third-leading cause of deaths in the UAE.

But researchers note that cancer causes more deaths in the country than heart disease or traffic accidents.

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World Cancer Day marked by anti-smoking campaign 

Addressing a news conference to mark World Cancer Day held this morning at Mater Dei hospital, the Health Minister, Joe Cassar said government intends to embark on anti-smoking campaign to address the growing number of cancers caused by tobacco.

Cassar said that 26.6% of men and 9% of women who died in Malta last year, had lung cancer. "Smoking is a vice people find very hard to get rid of. Smoking not only harms smokers but is also harmful to people around smokers."

Stephen Montford, who chairs the smoking and health committee that runs smoking cessation programmes, said that hospital offers cessation and psycho therapy classes to hospital patients and employees who wish to stop smoking. Montford also said that a tender has been issued for the introduction of nicotine replacement therapy patches for patients.

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• World Cancer Day: the disease can be prevented  

The World Cancer Day is marked on February 4. According to the World Health Organization, 12 mln people are diagnosed with the disease annually, while 7,500 die of the illness.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. . . .

Russia has the same rate of cancer cases and mortality as the UK, Ireland and France with 480,000 primary diagnoses a year, says Professor with the Anti-Cancer Society David Zaridze

"The main reason for cancer mortality in Russia is smoking-related tumors which account for 30% of all deaths. Smoking causes lung cancer and hit 12-13 other organs, like stomach, head, neck, mouth, larynx and throat. Control over smoking can decrease the mortality rate."

Doctors should lead a more active prevention campaign among those people who get ill due to their bad habits. Anti-smoking campaign directly affects the cancer mortality rate in the world.

This year's Cancer Day is held under the motto "cancer can be prevented" which underlines the importance of healthy lifestyle.

Doctors recommend to quit smoking

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World Cancer Day 2012 – Kick the buttΩ 

FEB 4 is World Cancer Day 2012.

The detrimental effects of smoking are well-documented.Cigarettes contain 69 carcinogens and smoking is one of the major causes of lung cancer for active and passive smokers. It is our duty to kick the butt not only for our own well-being but for our near and dear ones who are inhaling second-hand smoke. Smoking has no moral defence and it is our responsibility to ensure that we stop endangering ourselves and our loved ones.

The decision to quit smoking is the most important decision of you life. It is not easy by any means but it can be done. Think about the following points before we get to the action plan:

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• World Cancer Day 

World Cancer Day is fast approaching this Saturday, 4 February 2012. It is the occassion to unite the world in the fight against the disease through raising awareness, educating the public, and lobbying for change.

It is only by every person, organisation, and government, individually doing their part, that the world will be able to reduce the global cancer burden.

So get involved and do something this World Cancer Day - because Together it is possible!

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• Can tobacco be used to cure cancer?  

In a Toronto laboratory, an experiment on mice is seeking to answer a question that could turn conventional wisdom on its head: Can tobacco cure cancer?

The plant best known for its negative health effects has been genetically engineered to create a drug comparable to Herceptin that could one day be used to treat highly aggressive breast cancers at a lower cost.

That development is part of a plant-based trend in pharmaceuticals. It is based on the belief that proteins can be made faster, cheaper and easier, allowing patients in remote parts of the world to gain access to medicines once unaffordable. And it's not just tobacco. Plants being tested as biological drugs sound like they belong not in the laboratory but in the vegetable section at the health-food store: carrots for Gaucher's disease, duckweed - those green flecks on top of ponds - to treat hepatitis C, and safflower to make insulin.

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• VIDEO: California Cancer Research Act to add $1 tax to cigarettes 

Prop 29, called the California Cancer Research Act, would hike tobacco taxes a dollar per pack of cigarettes and other related products to fund research and prevention measures.

Supporters of California's Cancer Research Act urged students at Fresno State to vote yes on Prop 29. If approved, the measure would tax a dollar onto a pack of cigarettes which now cost around five or six bucks.

"We're hoping that with Prop 29, we'll raise about $600-million each year for cancer research, and cancer education and smoking prevention programs here in California," said Dr. Paul Mills.

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• Health ministry plan aims to cut smoking rate to 12% in 10 years  

The health ministry has presented an advisory panel with a new basic plan for anticancer programs, including the goal of cutting the smoking rate in Japan to 12.2 percent in 10 years, officials said.

The rate was 19.5 percent in 2010. The plan submitted Wednesday calls for reducing the rate beginning in fiscal 2012 by helping smokers who wish to quit and rooting out smoking among minors, to achieve the target by fiscal 2022, the officials said.

The plan also envisages halving passive smoking. It targets reducing the chances to 15 percent in restaurants and 3 percent in homes, from 50.1 percent and 10.7 percent in 2010.

The current plan to fight cancer, drawn up in fiscal 2007, does not include a numerical target for reducing smoking due to opposition from the tobacco industry.

The panel of anticancer experts is expected to approve a final plan in June

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"I've come here to have my teeth treated, not to quit smoking!" (PDF) ($$) 

"I have come here to have my teeth treated, and not to quit smoking! said – by way of a goodbye – a 40-year-old policewoman who I had tried to convince that without quitting smoking she could not possibly count on an improvement in the very bad condition of her oral cavity, the treatment she had consulted me about" − recalls a dental surgeon from one of the cities in Silesia.

Her task usually begins at the point when general dentists decide there is nothing more they can do. It turns out that during many years of practice she observed that cigarettes are one of the main causes of complications in the treatment of diseases affecting the oral cavity, and that without giving up smoking one cannot count on the efficiency of the treatment. . . .

Few people know that oral cavity comes 6th on the list of organs most frequently affected by cancer. Changes can appear on the tongue, the buccal mucosa, the floor of the mouth, the lips and the throat. That's why a visit to the dentist is often the beginning of a complex treatment of an oncological patient. . . .

Oral cancer, periodontitis, teeth loss, bad breath, inefficient teeth whitening, failure concerning dental implants, alveolar bone loss, gingival recession – this is just an indicative list of conditions of the oral cavity that can be caused by smoking. It should suffice as motivation for both dentists and their patients to mutually support each other in their fight against smoking.

Maybe reading this article will deter addictive smokers from pursuing their habit.

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