On the occasion of the introduction of measures to make Compulsory affixing images on cigarette packs, INCa publishes an update of the synthesis of knowledge on tobacco-related cancers (cancers and tobacco reference sheet).
Tobacco is the main risk factor for cancer in France. 81% of 28 700 deaths from lung cancers are caused by tobacco. This is the most effective preventive action in the fight against cancer. However, the lung is not the only organ affected by smoking, it helps significantly in many other cancers: oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, pancreas, bladder, kidney, nasal cavities, sinuses, esophagus, stomach, liver, cervical cancer, myeloid leukemia, colon, rectum and ovary. Smoking can also be a cause of breast cancer. Thus, smoking is responsible for more than 37,000 cancer deaths per year in France.
Tobacco smoke is the main source of human carcinogens. It contains over 4800 chemicals that are toxic and irritating. Seventy of them are carcinogenic (benzene, arsenic, chromium, etc.)..
Deal with stability in the regular smoking among men: Different measures against tobacco implemented during the last decades (price increases, smoking bans in public places, introduced health warnings on packets of cigarettes, cessation, etc.). had allowed a reduction in tobacco consumption which is now resulting in a reduction of lung cancer in humans. However, the latest results from the Health Barometer 2010 INPES show stability in the regular smoking in men, smoking prevalence with around 32%, raising fears for the future a decision of the lower lung cancer man.
In women, the risk of death from lung cancer increases sharply. The number of deaths from lung cancer in women is estimated at 7,724 in 2010. This number may increase further due to the fact that regular smoking women increased between 2005 and 2010 (from 23% to 25.7% from 2005 to 2010).
By implementing these graphic health warnings, the Department of Labor Employment and Health in response to a cancer action plan 2009-2013 (measure 10) and implements the recommendations of Article 11 of the Convention Framework for Tobacco Control, an international treaty ratified by France, again recalls the INCA.