Illicit drug use has become common among the people of the United States. Among the many illegal drugs, tobacco use is most prevalent. It is known that smoking results in many serious health effects. The carcinogenic substances present in tobacco smoke are responsible for various types of cancer in smokers. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health strengthened it by reporting that there is a higher death risk among smokers who are diagnosed with prostrate cancer. It is, therefore, suggested that the smokers should quit smoking immediately to prevent any future risks.
The details of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study included the research on 5,366 men who were diagnosed with prostrate cancer between 1986 and 2006. It showed that there is a close link between smoking and higher chances of occurrence and death by prostrate cancer. As per the study, it was found that five years after the diagnosis, 94.8% of men who had never smoked had not died of their prostrate cancer compared with 91.7% of current smokers. The study revealed that it is the cigarettes and not the behavior of the men that causes the increased risk of prostrate cancer death.
It was concluded that there is an increased risk of prostrate cancer mortality and recurrence with smoking at the time of diagnosis. It was found that men who had quit smoking for ten years had similar prostate cancer mortality risks as life-time non-smokers. These results suggest that smoking may increase the risk of death from prostrate cancer.
