Scientists at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) have found that smoking interferes with the functioning of proteins needed to fight cancer, increasing the risk of developing tumors and making them harder to treat. The research was published in the journal Science Developments.
Cancer cells appear regularly in the bodies of humans and other species, which the immune system fights against. In the new study, scientists analyzed DNA from more than 12,000 tumor samples from 18 different types of cancer. They found that smoking causes mutations that disrupt the synthesis of proteins needed to suppress the growth of malignant cells. Scientists believe that the mutations they detected may make cancer treatment difficult. The study also confirmed that unhealthy diet and alcohol consumption also contribute to similar mutations that hinder the body’s fight against cancer.
“Everyone knows that smoking can cause cancer, but being able to explain one of the molecular mechanisms behind this is an important step in understanding how our lifestyle affects our risk of developing cancer,” said Nina Adler, lead author of the study.
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