Reference summary — not medical advice or a personal risk estimate.
Tobacco smoking
Summary
The leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide. Associated with cancers across many organs.
Detail
Tobacco smoking is Group 1 with sufficient evidence for cancers of the lung, larynx, mouth, esophagus, throat, bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas, colon, rectum and cervix, plus acute myeloid leukemia. WHO and major cancer bodies agree there is no safe level of tobacco use; quitting at any age improves life expectancy and reduces cancer risk.
Regional relevance
global
Documented in these products
Presence in a product category doesn't imply the product causes cancer. Click each to see the source and context.
Sources
Primary sources
Supporting sources
- Canadian Cancer Society — Canadian Cancer Society — Reduce your risk
- ACS — ACS — Known and Probable Human Carcinogens
- Cancer Research UK — Cancer Research UK — Causes of cancer and reducing your risk
- IARC / WHO — European Code Against Cancer — European Code Against Cancer (5th edition) — 14 ways you can help prevent cancer
- NTP — NTP — Report on Carcinogens (US National Toxicology Program)
- Cancer Council Australia — Cancer Council Australia — Causes of cancer
- WCRF/AICR — WCRF/AICR — Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: a Global Perspective (Third Expert Report)
- WCRF/AICR — WCRF — Cancer Prevention Recommendations
Consumer references
Third-party tools some readers use alongside primary evidence. Meyron doesn't endorse them; we link them because you'll otherwise hit them anyway.
- California Prop 65 list
State of California's list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.