Drugs have been a thorn in the flesh in our world today. Governments and other organizations have lobbied to fight the spreading use and addiction to illegal drugs. Nongovernmental organizations have organized rehabilitation for drug addicts so has the governments; however, little has been realized since most drug addicts are not willing to come out. According to the World Drug Report of 2019 more than thirty-five million people in the world are drug addicts and only one out of the seven addicts go to rehabilitation. This paper studies the various effects of nicotine to cancer patients. The paper seeks to lay bare the risks that cancer patients are likely to experience when they use nicotine.
To start with, nicotine exposes cancer patients to malignant cancerous cell growth. When a cancer patient consumes nicotine it instigates the process called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition is important for cell malignant growth. Malignant cell growth is the worst stage of any cancer patient; the disease spreads rapidly to other body parts making it uneasy to control cancer. It should be noted that nicotine use exposes cancer patients to this danger. Therefore when cancer spreads, it becomes uncontrolled and a patient has to be exposed to more cancer treatments which are more harmful especially with patients who have weak immunity. This means that cancer patients are likely to die if they indulge in the use of nicotine. Also, cancer patients’ families face potential risks such as financial constraints. When the disease becomes uncontrollable it means that the financial providers have to provide more for the cancer patient to receive the required care. Thus, it translates to strained economic time for the family that is taking care of the cancer patient. With the lack of capital, death is fast approaching for the cancer patient, however; even if the cash is enough it may not stop the ultimate price which is death. Therefore, the use of narcotics especially to the cancer patients they risk earlier death or an accelerated one.
Secondly, nicotine use lowers the effectiveness of the cancer treatment process. The constant use of nicotine by cancer patients reduces the chances of cancer patients responding positively to treatment. Nicotine hinders chemotherapy drugs such as Taxol from preventing lung cancers. According to scientific researches, nicotine prevents chemotherapy drugs from killing cancer cells and self suicide for cancer cells. Nicotine slows down the way the body responds to treatment therefore; the body may stop to respond to treatment. This exposes the cancer patient to the risk of untimely suffering. Since the body will not react positively to the cancer treatment, a patient goes through unimaginable suffering which is associated with cancer. Whenever one suffers from any disease they go through a moment that is not normal to anyone and nobody likes the gruesome torture. Cancer patients also undergo such a time since nicotine reduces the way their bodies respond to treatment. They have exposed to unpleasant times a risk that can be avoided if they stop using cancer. Prolonged suffering for cancer patients is a risk that exposes even the immediate family and society. They would not like to see their loved ones suffering just because of cancer. It can as well cause psychological torture to the family; most families would not want to witness such suffering. The patient may as well suffer psychologically which may reduce further the chances of the patient surviving.
Moreover, nicotine use exposes a cancer patient to a decreased tumor suppresser (CHK2). This, therefore, lowers effectively the body immunity to defend itself against cancer. The body needs to defend itself against diseases and when it cannot one is at risk of either pain or death. For instance, chemicals in nicotine inflict biological and physiological damage on the body especially the lungs. The damage further facilitates tumor growth in the lungs which in than causes a lot of damage to expansion and contraction of lungs. When a person suffering from cancer uses nicotine more often than not they are at a high risk of having a low body immunity which cannot defend itself against diseases and an individual will go through untold suffering. With more tumors growing in the body, the body normal functionality will be strained and it will be less effective to contain the pain that cancer causes. The more the tumors grow the more the surgeries that a patient will be required to undertake, therefore; it will take a toll on any human being that has to be put through the knife several times. Psychological the patient and his family will be affected. The patient also, his physical body will be in greater damage by the number of surgeries. Therefore: the body must have the power to suppress the number of tumors that grow to reduce the dangers of numerous surgeries and psychological family suffering.
Furthermore, nicotine use in small doses it exposes one to rapid cell growth, and in a large quantity; it becomes poisonous to the individual’s cells. When cancer patients use significant or smaller quantities of nicotine cancerous cells are provide for an environment that they would rapidly grow and spread. The rapid growth and spread of cancer to other parts of the body make the cancer uncontrollable thus one is exposed to the possibility of death or suffering. On the other hand, massive use of nicotine results in it become toxic to the blood cells which spell doom to an individual’s life. When a greater percentage of cells are exposed to extinction, so it is the life of a person. Cells play a critical role to life of a human being; blood cells are responsible for oxygen transportation, clothing, and supporting body immunity among others. With a significant reduction of the blood cells it thus means the body cannot effectively work thus exposing an individual to suffering and death. Whether in small of massive use of nicotine, the cancer patient is either way exposed.
Nonetheless, continued use of nicotine exposes cancer patients to long process of wound healing especially after surgery, infections, and weight loss. A continued use of nicotine even after the discovery that one is suffering from cancer exposes one to more risks. For instance, a cancer patient is exposed to weight loss, with the cancer treatments that are more demanding and at the same time use of nicotine on is likely to experience weight loss that is not good on such unhealthy times. Cancer patients also who use nicotine spend a longer time before they heal from surgical wounds, this happens because their bodies are weakened by nicotine and somehow affected therefore they cannot respond in time to the healing process of the surgical wounds. Cancer patients with continued use of nicotine are also exposed to other infections due to the weakened immunity. This further reduces their chances of survival and even to respond positively to the treatment process.
In conclusion, nicotine use affects cancer patients and a continued use of nicotine after cancer diagnosis put individuals at much more risk. The individuals who use nicotine and at the same time they are suffering from cancer they are exposed to risks such as weakened body immunity, exposed to infections, malignant cancer cells growth, decreased tumor suppressor and weight loss among others. Therefore; it is necessary that such a habit of nicotine should be ceased at the point when one is diagnosed with cancer since it exposes the cancer patients to more dangers.