It’s no secret that smoking tobacco is bad for our health. It causes disease, sickness and death. Almost every organ in the body is affected. Smoking causes heart disease, stroke, lung disease and several types of cancer. Secondhand smoke also puts the health of non-smokers of all ages at risk.
Quitting smoking offers immediate health benefits – and reduces health risks. If you’ve ever tried to quit before, you know that it’s not easy. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation offers you facts and practical suggestions to help you make the decision to quit and then act on that decision.
The link between smoking and breast cancer
Tobacco is a known carcinogen, linked to cancers of the lung, mouth, throat and others. Both active smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke, sometimes called passive smoke, have also been proven to increase the risk of breast cancer. The 2009 Canadian Expert Panel on Tobacco Smoke and Breast Cancer Risk concluded that active smoking increases the risk of breast cancer. It also concluded that girls and younger women who were exposed to second-hand smoke had an increased risk of developing breast cancer, especially if exposed during adolescence.
Girls and young women may be especially vulnerable because tobacco smoke may affect breast tissue differently, depending on age and stage of breast development. Breast tissue is more susceptible to cancer-causing agents during adolescence, which is a period of rapid breast development. Further research is needed to confirm a connection between second-hand smoke and breast cancer in older and postmenopausal women.
If the effects of smoking tobacco on breast health weren’t clear enough, nicotine and thousands of other toxins present in cigarettes have been found in the breast fluids of non-lactating female smokers.
Smoking and alcohol
If you smoke and also consume alcohol, your risk of developing breast cancer is further increased.
Quitters win
Quitting smoking sounds simple, right? Except “simple” doesn’t mean “easy.” Research suggests that women seem to have a harder time quitting than men do. We may be more concerned about gaining weight. And certain physical and emotional cues can trigger tobacco cravings. Fortunately, we tend to show a higher interest in our health and in the ways we can be healthier.
Options for quitting smoking that may help you include:
- Group counseling
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Nicotine replacement therapy (e.g. “The Patch”)
- Non-nicotine-based prescription drugs
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction
- Hypnotherapy
- Acupuncture
Quitting smoking is a big step. You may quit several times before you quit for life. Many women feel a sense of guilt or embarrassment if they fail. Keep trying. Remind yourself that you are making a good choice for your health in so many ways, including reducing your risk of breast cancer. There are many sources of support available to you. Don’t give up.
Sources
Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Women and smoking cessation. Accessed July 31, 2011.
Collishaw, N.E. et al. (April 2009). Canadian Expert Panel on Tobacco Smoke and Breast Cancer Risk. Toronto, Canada: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, OTRU Special Report Series. Accessed July 31, 2011.
Health Canada. Smoking and your body. Accessed July 31, 2011.
Heart & Stroke Foundation. Smoking, heart disease and stroke. Accessed July 31, 2011.
National Cancer Institute. Harms of smoking and health benefits of quitting. Accessed July 31, 2011.
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2010). Environmental Tobacco Smoke. In Chronic Diseases in Canada, Vol 29, Supplement 2. Accessed July 31, 2011.
