Posted on 06/02/2004 4:43:14 AM PDT by Colosis
LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking destroys protective molecules in saliva and transforms it into a dangerous cocktail of chemicals that increases the risk of mouth cancer, scientists say.
"Cigarette smoke is not only damaging on its own, it can turn the body against itself," said Dr Rafi Nagler, of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.
Saliva contains antioxidants, molecules that normally protect the body against cancer, but Nagler and his colleagues have discovered that cigarette smoke destroys the molecules and turns saliva into a dangerous compound.
"Our study shows that once exposed to cigarette smoke, our normally healthy saliva not only loses its beneficial qualities but it turns traitor and actually aids in destroying the cells of the mouth and oral cavity," he added.
In research reported in the British Journal of Cancer on Wednesday, Nagler and his team studied the impact of cigarette smoke on cancerous cells in the laboratory.
Half of the cells were exposed to saliva exposed to cigarette smoke and the other half just to the smoke. Cells exposed to the saliva mixture had more damage and it increased along with the time of exposure.
"Most people will find it very shocking that the mixture of saliva and smoke is actually more lethal to cells in the mouth than cigarette smoke alone," Nagler added in a statement.
Smoking and drinking are the leading causes of head and neck or oral cancers, which includes cancer of the lip, mouth, tongue, gums, larynx and pharynx. Nearly 400,000 new cases of the illness are diagnosed worldwide each year with the majority in developing countries. The five-year survival rates are less than 50 percent.
Nagler and his colleagues believe the research could open up new avenues to develop better treatments to prevent oral cancer.
"This insight into how mouth cancer can develop offers more reasons for smokers to try and quit," said Jean King, of Cancer Research UK, which publishes the journal. "People know the link with lung cancer and this research adds compelling evidence about the damage smoking can do to the mouth."
What a minute! You are trying to twist my links.
The link I posted for the RAND report on smoking and obesity is:
You can fool me some of the time, but you can't fool me ALL of the time.!
Well, shoot. T
Try this one from RAND:
http://www.rand.org/news/Press/obesity.060601.html
What a class act!!!!!
I remember that one. I also remember wondering why a post like that was allowed.
I know I will ignore him in the future.
ping
But smokers die much faster in most cases. During WW II virtually everyone smoked. They got free cigs every week. I know, so did I. It is amazing to me how many of my buds are now dead and how many died of cancer of the lungs, most before they reached 65 years. Here in this retirement town, one of the best businesses around is the one supplying oxygen tanks to ex-smokers who carry or wheel them around.
Have you ever kissed a lovely lady who smokes and you don't? It's a turn-off for sure.
With all due respect,sir,a retirement town would probably do a big business in all sorts of medical supplies.
No,but I've kissed beer drinking men and that's a turn off for me.
We're all dead in the end and as far as I can figure out the control freaks have their own vision and won't rest until everyone is marching in lockstep along their path to the inevitable.
There seems to be a horrible fright that drives them, as if they're bargaining with God all along the way, as if he were a business partner.
Vanity beyond belief.
Emphysema is a terrible and frightening disease for the vics. My step-mother died of it. My neighbor smoked for years and had the disease, lived tied to an oxygen machine and panicked in great fear if he felt himself losing his ability to breath. He died last month in agony. Miserable way to die!
Now if only these same "scientists" could do a "study" on noxious gases (carbon monoxide) emitted from automobiles and it's effect on our health.
Sorta odd how folks who don't smoke contract like diseases.
I never have either, Mears.
Funny how alleged "conservatives" who always invoke MLK's "content of their character" observation are only too willing to exclude smokers and anyone who doesn't fit their vision of Aryan physical perfection.
They're hard-wired to never get it.
What neat, tidy and stress-free way to die do you envision for yourself? What with all the hand-wringing, worrying and all?
Guaranteed better than smokers, or just a crap shoot?
Any one who lives in a climate where it snows realizes what filth is coming from cars.
Looking at a plowed snowbank about a week after a snowfall would make someone from another planet think that snow was black.
They can't blame that on the smokers(although I'm sure someone will try).
"Funny how alleged "conservatives" who always invoke MLK's "content of their character" observation are only too willing to exclude smokers and anyone who doesn't fit their vision of Aryan physical perfection.
They're hard-wired to never get it."
____________________________________________________________
Obviously to them one's character is flawed if they smoke.
No, there's nothing glamourous about smoking, but the nicotine once mixed with caffein or more especially with alcohol sure is good. I enjoy mine with either depending upon the time of day or night.
Shouldn't it be my choice rather than a cackle of nazis deciding for me? Oh, it will kill me. Duh, I will die as all the rest of these smoking nazis since I am not immortal.
My question is, what makes smoking nazis immortal? It's as if they believe that if they don't smoke they won't die.
Hello smoking nazis. You're gonna die too. You will either die sooner or later than me. Some sooner some later. What's the difference? We all go sooner or later.
The difference is that smoking nazis believe we should at least attempt to postpone the inevitable. Then some are afraid smokers might dip into their tensy wensy little nest egg.
Meantime, hundreds of smokers along with a like number of non-smokers will die tonight, tomorrow, and next week.
It's a natural fact of life and death. Can't escape it. There is no get out of death card...if someone finds one, please freepmail mail me.
"Any one who lives in a climate where it snows realizes what filth is coming from cars."
Catalytic converters and emission tests from these noxious and deadly machines does little protect us. Don't believe me? Take your car into your garage with it's catalytic converter and it's passed emission test. Close your garage door and let it run while you sit along side it. (No, please don't do this...you will die.)
I know you know Mears. But the majority of these smoking nazis are in denial.
Check out cinFLA's profile page.
I have no problems with business owners banning smoking or allowing it. Their business, their castle.
My problem is when the ninnies, freedom grabbers, public health fascists, and the like run to government to ban smoking on private property, and/or impliment cig taxes.
Same goes with alchohol, caffine, fatty foods, guns, and anything else these THUGS consider bad for us.
Private property is sacred here in America, and those that want to regulate it do death need to go to Cuba or China and join their Comrades.
Seems that smoking is inversely related to income.
Income Percent Smokers
<$15,000 36
$15,000-$24,999 36
$25,000-$34,999 32
$35,000-$49,999 30
$50,000-$74,999 22
$75,000 or more 16
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