Hello All,
The other day I was eating dinner and bit my lip pretty badly and it bled quite a bit. Not thinking, I smoked a cigar a couple hours later. Now, I know smoking cigars is harmful and that is why I will only have them a couple times a year. My questions is - will smoking with my cut lip put me at a greater risk for developing oral cancer than smoking without a cut? My logic is that the cells are dividing trying to repair the wound and getting carcinogens in there would lead to cancer. I suffer from anxiety often and get fixed on certain problems, as I have with this one for the last week. What do you all think?
Thanks
I think your anxiety is asking this question. I can also get fixated on a thought and have a paper cut suddenly mean I need an amputation. Let your mouth heal, I am sure you will be fine.
Sure you can get cancer from cigars, regardless if you have a cut or not.
The cells you are referring to, white blood cells, the carcingogens aren't
enough to destroy your immune system, but strong enough to give you cancer. Your talking two different things. Could a cut lip enhance cancer developement ?
No research to back it up, but could cause infection.
Well, I am really talking about tissue cells dividing and the carcinogens having more of an opportunity to inhibit their development if that makes sense. I know cells are always dividing/replacing themselves, I am just thinking that maybe they would be dividing more rapidly if they are trying to heal a wound. I know there isn't any research behind it, but just wondering about the science behind it.
Thanks for the reply. My mouth has healed just fine, but I can't stop thinking that I caused some sort of permanent damage due to the cut being there. Had it not been for that, I would not be worried because there are studies and odds ratios and all that for cigar smokers but the cut adds a variable that I can't find any clarity on.
No, carcinogens won't affect white cell developement and not all white blood cells divide. White blood cells would be produced at a faster rate.
Carcinogens introduced to tissue cells, which do divide, could cause mutations, thus causing cancer. At any rate, carcinogens do effect white blood cells, cells are produced faster, and don't effect the rate of tissue cells.