Klin Onkol 2000; 13(Speciál 2000): 2-4.
Summary: Since the fifties of the last century, there is a conclusive evidence of the causal effect of smoking in the development of cancer. Results from epidemiology studies are further confirmed by the new knowledge about the mechanism of chemically induced and promoted carcinogenesis. Various new biochemical and genotoxical methods make possible to evaluate the extent
of exposure in active and passive smokers and bring evidence that biologically active chemical compounds may penetrate into the more distant tissues and organs and damage them. Knowledge of the biological transformation of xenobiotics from the tobacco smoke proves that many of them can be further biologically activated into more potent mutagens and carcinogens. Metabolic transformation involves many enzymes and their inducibility is genetically determinated. Genetic polymorphism is
one of the basic reasons for the different vulnerability to the effects of smoking among individuals. Smoking is the most important single preventable cause of cancer. Smokers emotivation to quit smoking should be a routine part of any physicians medical practice.
