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."
Perhaps if you had been exposed to more lectures, facts and pamphlets, your health would not have been damaged.
You were the one that brought it up. I never asked about your health.
I remember the mid-eighties. There were three of us in a workgroup with two offices. Then a fourth (a smoker) joined us. The junior guy got put in with the smoker and boy did he complain. He used to bring in portable air cleaners, etc.
Why would anyone, not in a coma, smoke something referred to as "coffin nails"?
That 'consideration' is based on a metastudy of non-smokers who live with smokers, which adjusted only for diet and not any other confounding factor.
we extrapolated the relative risk due to exposure to environmental tobacco smoke from the relative risks for smoking 1-9 cigarettes per day.
There's no direct evidence that a linear extrapolation is valid.
Are you saying that this study has substantial errors?
I agree. In fact, if you read the comments by some professionals, you will see that they have major problems with the study. Of course, you will inform judith that this study paid for by big tobacco money should no longer be referenced as a source that SHS has no affects. Particuarly since the study doesn't look at effects, only at deaths.
I'm saying I know of two errors, both of which lead to an overestimate of the harm of SHS.
37 of 39 years this study was funded by the American Cancer Society..........they didn't like the results they were seeing and thus defunded it.
The vast majority of the professionals with problems with this study are decrying the funding of the last 2 years of the study - not with the actual work performed.
2 years of a nearly 40 year study does not a Big Tobacco funded study make.
Not until the BMJ publishing of the final findings of this study was anything raised about what they were doing.......for 37 years. The last 2 years of funding by a tobacco company apparently made no difference in the findings.......they had remained consistent.
37 years with no question of the work of these 2 men by the medical community.............hidden agenda here - you better believe it.
Thanks, Gabz. You will have to post that at least a thousand times before cinfla will read it, though. And then it still won't believe it.
And it will keep twisting my words, and twisting the conclusion until hell won't have it again. I'm out of all the discussions where that liar posts. That ubiquitous, egregious falsity makes me sick.
I guess when both sides find major error in a study, the only recourse is to discount the study.
Actually, all the evaluation was done in the last two years. The first 40 or so years was just data collection.
WRONG...........
The American Cancer Society defunded it because they did not like the results of the evaluation.....to finish all the work more funding was needed. The body parts cartel and the rest of the anti-smoker establishment wouldn't touch it because the results were counter to those that were desired.
Face it....the study didn't prove what the antis wanted it to prove and after 30+ years of not finding fault with the methodology of the study, they continue to not find fault with the methodology - only the funding of the final 2 years.
Interesting. Earlier you commented that those professionals that found fault with the methodology were just anti-smoking ...
All I know is Dear MrLeroy (and others) always said to be wary of who funding the studies and paid for the summary conclusion. Since Big Tobacco paid for both, I tend to be wary.
It was you that started all this by saying (twisting) that the study showed that SHS had no ill effects (paraphrased).
In fact, the study cannot conclude such a finding since it only looked at deaths and in fact could not rule out a 20% risk factor for SHS related lung cancer.
I don't leave discussions becuase of misinformation of other posters..that is why I stay......so others are made aware of the misinformation. I hope you rethink your decision.
I'm out of this one for now not for any other reason than my daughter graduates from kindergarten this evening and I need to find my shoes!!!!!
Where?
Here is where it all started. Show where I twisted your words. I merely pointed out that your statement was false since the study only looked at deaths and had no database to evalute for effects other than death and that you failed to point out that the study was paid for by big tobacco money.
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