Smoking causes Colon Cancer, study shows

People who smoke cigarettes for 20 years or more are about 40 percent more likely to die of colon cancer than are non-smokers, according to a study that blames tobacco use for about 12 percent of U.S. colon cancer deaths.

Researchers at the American Cancer Society surveyed the health and personal habits of 781,351 men and women over a 14-year period and found that colorectal cancers deaths are linked to how much and how long people smoke.

Earlier lab studies showed that carcinogens in cigarette smoke may cause tumours in the colon and rectum and may damage the DNA in cells. The new study is the first to link cigarettes and colorectal cancer death among such a large number people followed for such a long period of time, she said.

For more information on Colon Cancer, see the article in the A-Z listing.

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