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- $Unique_ID{BRK02308}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Does Smoking Increase Cervical Cancer Risk?}
- $Subject{neoplasm neoplasms genitourinary system smoking cigarettes cigarette
- uterine cervix cervical cancer cancers tumor tumors behavior lifestyle
- papanicolaou carcinoma smoke}
- $Volume{B-14,J-14,J-23}
- $Log{
- Indirect Problems Caused by Smoking*0007302.scf
- Diseases of the Female Reproductive System*0009001.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1992,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- Does Smoking Increase Cervical Cancer Risk?
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-
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-
- QUESTION: With menopause upon me, with all its accompanying problems, I find
- myself smoking more than usual. Naturally my doctor has told me this is bad
- for me and he mentioned that the smoking will increase my chances of cervical
- cancer. I've heard of smoking increasing the risk of lung cancer, but how can
- it possibly affect the cervix? Please explain.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- ANSWER: Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of female deaths due to
- cancer in the United States. Your doctor's warning is well founded. Studies
- have found a definite link between an increased risk for the disease and
- smoking. In one National Cancer Institute study, doctors found that women who
- smoke more than 40 cigarettes a day, or have smoked for 40 years or more, are
- more than twice as likely as nonsmokers to develop invasive squamous cell
- cervical cancer. Women who smoke between ten and forty cigarettes daily also
- had a higher than average rate of cervical cancer.
- Interestingly, the doctors found the highest risks were associated with
- recent smoking and the use of nonfilter cigarettes. Smokers should realize
- that they are inhaling toxins and carcinogens that will travel through their
- entire body, not just their respiratory tract, and that's why those who smoke
- are at greater risk for many diseases. Maybe if I keep writing enough, people
- will get the idea that smoking is really a health hazard, without much that
- can be said about it of a positive nature.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-
-