- Pancreatic Carcinoma -
Smoking Facts About Pancreatic Cancer

The incidence of pancreatic carcinoma has been rising steadily over the last several decades especially among women.

The smoking facts reveal that pancreatic cancer occurs more often among smokers than among non-smokers.

Carcinogenic ingredients in cigarettes have been isolated in pancreatic juices. There doesn't seem to be any organ in the human body that is immune to the cancer causing smoking effects on the body.

Many of the race and gender differences in the incidence of pancreatic cancer are attributed to the difference in smoking rates in those populations and the vulnerability of specific populations to the carcinogenic ingredients in cigarettes.

Gender

Cancer of the pancreas is more common in men than women. However, most of the increase in the incidence of pancreatic cancer in the last 30 years has been among the female population.

The incidence rate of cancer of the pancreas among females has been increasing by 1.7% per year in the last few decades while the incidence rate among men has remained steady since 1981.

Just like the statistics for women and lung cancer, these statistics may be attributable to increased incidence of smoking among females several decades ago.

Overall men develop pancreatic cancer more often than women do. This is thought to be because of the higher rates of smoking among the male population and the fact that men tend to have higher tobacco exposure.

Race

In countries like the USA where racial differences for incidence and prevalence of diseases in a population are tracked, it is known than in the African American population the incidence rate for pancreatic carcinoma is higher than in the Caucasian population. Just like lung cancer the African American population appears to be more vulnerable to the carcinogenic ingredients in cigarettes.

Smoking Facts About Pancreatic Carcinoma

• if you smoke you are 2 - 3 times more likely to develop cancer of the pancreas than a non-smoker.


• 4th leading cause of cancer death overall in Canada and the USA.


• the median time between diagnosis and death is 3 months. Very few people live longer than one year. Less than 5% are still alive after 5 years. This is probably because most cases are diagnosed after the disease has already spread.


• cancer of the pancreas has a 99% mortality rate - of every 100 people who hear their doctor say "You have a pancreatic carcinoma" ,99 of them will die as a result of the disease.


• early diagnosis is the exception not the rule. The majority of cases are not diagnosed until after the cancer has already spread. Early diagnosis and treatment improves survival rates.


• the carcinogenic ingredients in cigarettes have been isolated in the pancreatic juices of smokers. Bathing your pancreas in carcinogens is just one of the many harmful smoking effects on the body.


• The World Health Organization estimates smoking to be responsible for 30% of all cases of pancreatic carcinoma.

Other pancreatic diseases such as pancreatitis and diabetes increase the risk of developing cancer of the pancreas.

Go back to Smoking and Cancer - Facts on Smoking Risks and a Cancer Diagnosis

Go back to The Human Digestive System - Smoking Facts About H Pylori Bacteria and GERD

Go home to Smoking Facts Reveal the Real Dangers of Cigarette Smoking