Smoking and Colorectal Cancer

It has long been felt that smoking increases the risk for colon or rectal cancer but documented research was insufficient to prove the theory. A recent study published in the December 2009 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention states quite clearly that “Colorectal cancer should be added to the list of cancers caused by smoking.”

The scientists adjusted the study for several other risk factors including genetic predisposition, sedentary lifestyles, obesity as well as alcohol consumption and the consumption of red or processed meats. It was found that smokers who smoked consistently for 40 or more years or who didn’t quit before the age of 40 had somewhere between 30 and 50 percent increased risk of getting colon cancer.

We are all aware of the many dangers of smoking and sometimes it is just too difficult to quit. For years it was only believed to be a psychological addiction but for the past four decades or so it has been proven that it is a real physiological addiction.

There are a plethora of products out there that are designed to either help the smoker to quit or to chemically alter the brain’s receptors so that nicotine isn’t craved. Some of them are prescription, some are OTC pharmaceuticals and others are herbal formulations. There are even e-cigarettes that provide the sensation of smoking by delivering a jolt of nicotine in a harmless vapor.

Especially if you have a family history of colorectal cancer, there is no time like the present to break the habit. Whether you try to go cold turkey, use a pharmaceutical or herbal aid or even go to a hypnotist or a practitioner of acupuncture. It won’t be easy, but it can be done. Help is out there for you so take advantage of it.