Chronic Smoking Increases Breast Cancer Death Rates

Smoking poses a great health risk for both those who smoke and inhale second hand smoke. In fact, the American Cancer Society says that in the U.K., 2 out of 3 female smokers in the age range of 50 to 70 and beyond die because of smoking-related causes. Moreover, 1 out of 3 cancer deaths are attributed to tobacco use.

The ACS further reports that smoking increases the risk of stroke and heart disease in women. According to Reuters, a new finding also revealed that among women who have breast cancer, those chronic smokers have three times the risk of death from the disease compared to the non-smoking women afflicted by the disease.

The study was done by Dr. Masaaki Kawai, a breast oncologist at Miyagi Cancer Center Hospital in Japan, in which findings revealed that in 800 women with breast cancer, those individuals who smoked for 20 years or more had three times the risk of death by any cause, compared to those who did not consume cigarettes.

"There are now quite a few studies suggesting that active smokers diagnosed with breast cancer have poorer survival - not to mention accumulating evidence that smokers may have a greater risk of developing breast cancer," Peggy Reynolds explained to Reuters. Reynold is a researcher at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California and Stanford University School of Medicine.

The National Institutes of Health reports that globally, 1 in 9 women will eventually develop breast cancer, which is the most common malignancy in women. More importantly, as women age, the risk increases - 1 out of 227 women at age 30 may get breast cancer and 1 in 26 women at age 70 may get breast cancer.

While the real cause of breast cancer has not been fully defined, several factors may contribute to the risk for developing the disease. Such factors, according to the National Health Service of U.K., include age, family history (the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene may increase your risk for breast or ovarian cancer), breast density, exposure to oestrogen, exposure to radiation, and alcohol intake.

Because of the numerous factors that may contribute to developing breast cancer, individuals are still highly encouraged to take a more proactive role in maintaining one's health through proper diet and exercise. Smoking is a habit one can kick through various methods, including regular exercise (jogging, bicycling, and weight lifting are highly recommended by Shape Magazine), consumption of fruits and vegetables, mindfulness training, and acupuncture and hypnosis, among other options.