07/06/2018
Smoking is by far the biggest preventable cause of cancer. Thanks to years of research, the links between smoking and cancer are now very clear. Smoking accounts for more than 1 in 4 UK cancer deaths, and 3 in 20 cancer cases.
The good news is that many of these deaths are preventable, by giving up smoking. Speak to your GP or pharmacist, or visit the NHS Smokefree (link is external) pages for free advice and support to give you the best possible chance of quitting. Which cancers are caused by smoking?
Chemicals in cigarette smoke enter our blood stream and can then affect the entire body. This is why smoking causes so many diseases, including at least 15 types of cancer, heart disease and various lung diseases.
Smoking causes around 7 in 10 lung cancer cases in the UK. Lung cancer survival is one of the lowest of all cancers, and is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Smoking also increases the risk of at least 14 other cancers including cancers of the mouth, pharynx (upper throat), nose and sinuses, larynx (voice box), oesophagus (gullet or food pipe), liver, pancreas, stomach, kidney, bowel, o***y, bladder, cervix, and some types of leukaemia Smoking could increase the risk of breast cancer, but any increase in risk is likely to be small.