Cigars and mouth cancer

[Augie754]

I threw together a excel spreadsheet of the risk for cigars and cigarettes from the cancer.gov website awhile back. If anyone would like a copy click the link.

Unless you know how to read these, it my be boring. You'd need to know what relative risk, confidence values, and confidence intervals are.

http://augie.dyndns.org/cigars/TobaccoHealthRisks.xls

Info was gathered from this document.
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/9/m9_4.PDF

If you haven't read health studies, read this page first, so you know what the numbers mean! A 1.5 RR is a 50% increase, that sound high, but it doesn't mean that much statistically. Read the following to understand why.
http://www.davehitt.com/facts/epid.html - this site also has a lot of info on Second hand smoke.
Make sure you read about Relative Risk and CI (Confidence Intervals)

 

[hoshnasi]

While we are on this subject what are your thoughts on the debate of cigars vs pipes vs cigarettes?

I use to hear that a pack of cigarettes is equal to one churchill cigar. Was never answered when asked "is equal to what?"

I am wondering about long term effects of the above 3. Personally I am just smoking cigars right now, have never smoked cigarettes, and am looking at getting into pipe smoking.

This is just one engineers opinion but in order from worst for you to least: Cigarettes > Chew > Cigars > Pipes.

I see your points, but tend to disagree. I was kinda hoping for some sources for your info, but realize it is mostly your opinion. Furthermore, I have no desire to go hunt out my sources for my opinions, so we're in the same boat there. :laugh: Anyways, my overall problem with your views is that many of the carcinogens that come from tobacco are a product of the combustion process, something that isn't an issue with chewing tobacco. With all the fillers and chemicals in cigarettes, and their method of use, I think it is safe to say that they are likely the most dangerous of the 4 forms of tobacco that you mentioned. Assuming that the other 3 (dip/chewing tobacco, cigars, and pipes) are all made of natural tobacco, comparing the risks of those three are the same as comparing apples and oranges. I've done a fair amount of research on the reduction of risks seen by switching from cigarettes to dip, and I'm convinced that research is pretty solid. Like I said, I wish I could post links to the data that I am talking about, but am too sick of reading primary literature at work to come home and do it by choice lately.

Take my opinion for what it's worth though. (Not much according to my wife!) :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I should have been more refined in the last part of my little rant. Regardless of what I said about dip. I feel its still safer then cigarettes. So my boldened equation above still stands. To be honest my view of dip is entirely based on personal bias. I believe Dip and cigs effect different areas of the body. So it is a bit like apples and oranges for sure, even more so because combustion is not involved. Link for some high level info. The last paragraph is important as it mentions that smoking tobacco is still 2x as toxic. The question is if that is for inhaled smoke like in cigarettes or simply mouth exhaled?

I think in the end my bias is based on prolong exposure to the dip and inside of the mouth. Sure smoke has a sort of prolonged experience, I just don't think its as long or as concentrated.

 

[SteveA]

I have always wondered about the risks of mouth cancer. My wife has worked in nursing homes for 20 years and hasn't witnessed a case of tobacco induced mouth cancer. I also asked my dental hygenist and she has never seen a case. Not that I don't believe there is risk but I think moderation will serve you well.

 

[rectifythis]

I have always wondered about the risks of mouth cancer. My wife has worked in nursing homes for 20 years and hasn't witnessed a case of tobacco induced mouth cancer. I also asked my dental hygenist and she has never seen a case. Not that I don't believe there is risk but I think moderation will serve you well.

Yeeees. This is what I was talking about. I don't care what 'statistics' show, I'm interested in real people's experiences. And so far, the actual risk compared to perceived seems slim.

 

[boxfullacigars]

Yea, I have never personally seen tobacco cause mouth cancer, except dip. Even with dip, I know people who have dipped since they were in there early teens, and have never had a cancer problem. The statistics are def. exaggerated, and alot of the times based on crap math.

 

[hoshnasi]

I threw together a excel spreadsheet of the risk for cigars and cigarettes from the cancer.gov website awhile back. If anyone would like a copy click the link.

Unless you know how to read these, it my be boring. You'd need to know what relative risk, confidence values, and confidence intervals are.

http://augie.dyndns.org/cigars/TobaccoHealthRisks.xls

Info was gathered from this document.
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/9/m9_4.PDF

If you haven't read health studies, read this page first, so you know what the numbers mean! A 1.5 RR is a 50% increase, that sound high, but it doesn't mean that much statistically. Read the following to understand why.
http://www.davehitt.com/facts/epid.html - this site also has a lot of info on Second hand smoke.
Make sure you read about Relative Risk and CI (Confidence Intervals)

Great little compilation there! Let me make sure I am reading this right though. When I am looking at "Cancer of Lungs and Bronchus and under 1-2 cigars daily for a smoker between 50-64. Is the result a number expressed as a %? As in .83% more likely to develope that type of cancer compared to a non-smoke? Or is it 83% more likely.

Or is it simply .83 times more likely then a never smoker in the same age bracket.

 

[tsmckenney]

I don't personally know anyone who's health has been jeopardized by cigar smoking, but then again, I haven't been around the communities that long.

I do know of two men who were diagnosed with oral cancer and both cases were undoubtedly attributable to chewing tobacco. Also, like most of us I would guess, I have seen many people pass from lung cancer/emphesema (sp?).

Moderation is the way to go. Eat moderately, drink moderately, exercise moderately, smoke moderately, and f..k as much as you can. That's the key to a healthy life.

Seriously though, take a look at the health of your family. That will tell you exactly what you're up against. Diabetes, heart problems, cancer... We're all prone to something. For example, I know that outside of getting hit by a train, as long as I keep my heart healthy, I'll live to be 90+. And I'll have a full head of hair to. Here's to viagra :thumbs:

 

[sonuvabum]

Moderation is the way to go. Eat moderately, drink moderately, exercise moderately, smoke moderately, and f..k as much as you can. That's the key to a healthy life.

Right on Bro!!

Thanks for putting this discussion into perspective.