The Habit That Puts Millions at Risk of Pancreatic Can.cer—Especially Men Who Do It More Often

Statistics show that more than 10,000 people die from pancreatic cancer each year—that’s nearly one death every hour. By 2040, cases are projected to hit a record high, surpassing 200,000 annually.

What’s alarming is that most patients are only diagnosed when the disease has reached an advanced stage, making treatment extremely challenging.

A study published in Cancer Discovery by the Rogel Cancer Center at the University of Michigan (USA) revealed a dangerous link between toxins in tobacco smoke and the growth of pancreatic tumors.

Researchers found that chemicals in cigarette smoke trigger immune cells known as Tregs to produce large amounts of IL22, a protein with a “double-edged” role: it both accelerates tumor growth and weakens the body’s natural cancer-fighting defenses. Lead researcher Professor Timothy Frankel described it as a “double assault.”

“We observed that tumors in mice exposed to cigarette chemicals grew faster and spread more aggressively. But when we removed all Treg cells, this harmful effect completely disappeared,” Frankel explained.

Tests on human cells confirmed the finding: pancreatic cancer patients who smoked had significantly higher levels of Tregs compared to non-smokers. In other words, smoking directly “feeds” tumor development.

Encouragingly, the team also discovered a potential breakthrough—a drug inhibitor that can block the harmful mechanism caused by tobacco chemicals, thereby shrinking tumors. This could pave the way for new treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer, particularly for patients with a history of smoking.

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One of the Deadliest Cancers

Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most aggressive and deadly malignancies. If detected early—before the cancer spreads—about 50% of patients may survive at least one year. But in later stages, only 1 in 10 patients lives beyond 12 months.

The disease is most common in people over 75, but in recent years, cases among younger individuals have risen sharply. Some studies even show a 200% increase in pancreatic cancer among women under 25 compared to the 1990s. While the exact cause remains unclear, obesity and environmental factors are believed to play a role.

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Symptoms That Should Not Be Ignored

Doctors warn that while early symptoms are often mistaken for common conditions, people should stay vigilant. Seek medical attention if the following signs persist for more than four weeks, especially if you smoke:

• Yellowing of the skin or eyes, itchy skin, and dark urine

• Loss of appetite and rapid weight loss

• Bloating, constipation, and poor digestion

• Persistent fatigue and weakness

Professor Frankel emphasized: “We don’t yet have an effective screening method for pancreatic cancer. But for smokers, early recognition of symptoms and regular check-ups at high-risk clinics are critically important.”

According to Cancer Research UK, 22% of pancreatic cancer cases are linked to smoking, and another 12% to obesity. Experts strongly advise that the best prevention remains quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and undergoing regular health monitoring.