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Updated: May 31, 2026
06:12
Using Nicotine in a Silica-Exposed Mouse Model to Promote Lung Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: March 3, 2023
Nicotine has implications in different tumors types. Expert's eye making a literature analysis
1Department of Radiation Therapy-B, Saint Savvas Anticancer Institute, Athens, Greece. gkoyokorakis@yahoo.gr
Summary
Smoking tobacco, primarily through cigarettes, exposes individuals to nicotine and other harmful chemicals. This review examines the links between tobacco use, nicotine, and the development of oral, lung, and urinary tract cancers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Nicotine, the primary alkaloid in tobacco, mediates the addictive and pharmacological effects of smoking.
- Smokers exhibit elevated serum levels of cadmium and lead, contributing to glomerular dysfunction.
- Cigarette smoke contains reagents that directly damage oral epithelial cells, potentially leading to malignant transformation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the implications of nicotine, smoking, smoke extracts, and tobacco constituents on various cancers.
- To highlight the association between tobacco use and the incidence of oral, lung, and urinary tract cancers.
Main Methods:
- This study is a review of existing literature.
- The review synthesizes findings on the carcinogenic effects of tobacco constituents.
Main Results:
- Tobacco use is the leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for 90% of male and 79% of female cases.
- Smoking is estimated to cause 90% of lung cancer deaths.
- Cigarette smoke components directly impact oral epithelial cells, initiating a process that can lead to cancer.
Conclusions:
- Nicotine and other tobacco constituents play a significant role in the development of oral, lung, and urinary tract cancers.
- The evidence strongly supports the causal link between smoking and lung cancer.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for public health interventions aimed at reducing cancer incidence.
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