PARIS — Cancer and tobacco are a dangerous combination. This adage holds particularly true for cervical cancer, which is induced by high-risk human papillomavirus(HPV). Julia Maruani, MD, a gynecologist in Marseille, France, described this association during a press conference at the French Society of Colposcopy and Cervico-Vaginal Pathology Congress.

4500 Chemical Compounds

To clarify the role of tobacco in cervical cancer, Maruani observed that cigarettes contain nearly 4500 chemical compounds, 60 of which are carcinogenic. “For example, we know that benzopyrene increases viral load, while nitrosamines have a carcinogenic effect,” she said. “And don’t believe that nicotine has no impact. While not directly affecting carcinogenesis, it plays a harmful role in terms of immunosuppression. Tobacco alters all components of immunity: Cellular, humoral, local, and systemic.”

Indeed, tobacco is the leading modifiable risk factor for cancers, contributing to 13% of all cases. When considering cervical cancer in women, tobacco and HPV are the main risk factors. The same applies to cancers of the pharynx and nasopharynx. “There is an extremely strong association between cancer and tobacco for all sites affected by HPV infection,” said Maruani. …”