Serious question about pipes, and cancer

[meerschaumsteve]

I'm fairly new to pipe smoking, but am enjoying it a lot. I love my meerschaums! I want to enjoy a lifetime with them.
This question is to anybody, but especially to the older pipers out there. I know that cigarettes are very common to cause lung cancer after years of smoking. What about pipes? If we never inhale, is our main risk mouth or tongue cancer? I have searched around, and can find almost no info about pipe smokers having problems with mouth cancer. There is a lot about chewing tobacco, but not pipes specifically. So what do you think guys and gals? How much risk are we taking? Do any of you know somebody young or old that got some form of mouth cancer from only pipe smoking? Those of you that have been enjoying pipes for 20 years or more, ever had problems of any kind?
I'm just trying to assess my risk. I really enjoy the pipes, and want to continue with them, but this subject is on my mind.

 

[baronsamedi]

From what I've read, lung cancer risk is minimal, but mouth cancer is slightly higher than normal. I think a lot of it depends if you are genetically cancer-prone.

 

[philip]

Welcome to the forum, meerschaumsteve.
From what I have read the risk is much less with pipes and cigars than with cigarettes, and less with pipes than with cigars because the tobacco itself does not come into contact with the mouth.
If you are going to continue, I would suggest you don't worry. The worry would probably do you more harm than the tobacco.
Here's an article you might find interesting: Safer Smoking

 

[nsfisher]

@meer
Sorry to say mate, but I am having an oral biopsy done. The first step is tomorrow.

 

[meerschaumsteve]

@nsfisher
May I ask how much you smoke your pipe? and if you also enjoy any other types of tobacco? How long have you been using tobacco?
No need to answer of course if you rather not. I'm only curious, and I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery.

 

[crispy]

Damn. Wish you luck nsfisher!
Steve, all tobacco is a gamble in some way, but pipe smoking is probably the least of all evils.

 

[auspipe]

There is an oral cancer risk. Though by not inhaling you are drastically reducing your chances of lung cancer and other smoking related illness. I have had grandfathers who have smoked pipes for years and nothing has come of it. Some people are more susceptible to cancer it seems than others. Keep it in moderation and savour the experience because to me it is a great pleasure to sit back and enjoy a good pipe and not worth worrying about a very small risk.

 

[mluyckx]

Steve,

Welcome aboard ! Love that meer you were showing off in the other thread. So let's dive into this question of yours. And let's be honest and frank here.
Certain behaviors are more risky to your health than others. Cigarette smoking does seem to increase one's risk of lung cancer, although it appears that COPD is a more likely consequence of frequent inhaling of smoke. What is not clear is whether it is tobacco, tar or the chemical additives that are causing this.

Pipe smoking does increase the risk of mouth related cancers. And according to a very good friend, who is now retired from the medical field, it does seem to be more common with pipe smokers than with cigar smokers. In his opinion this may be due to the prolonged clenching and the higher temperature of the smoke and steam that one tends to experience with pipes. More so than with cigars. This is his opinion and although he is a very, very respected person in the medical field who has won several medical recognition awards, it's not necessarily based on scientific research.
Which brings me to that last part. The scientific research. Although it is generally accepted that smoking carries an increased risk of cancerous afflictions, it is very difficult to gauge exactly how much that increased risk is. We all have anecdotal evidence of smokers living to a ripe and healthy age and we have those who have never touched a tobacco product who end up with cancer in their thirties. The true test would be to have genetically identical twins living in exactly the same environment where the only variable is the use of tobacco products. Since that is unrealistic, all we have to go by are statistics. Comparing groups who exhibit the increased risk behavior vs. those who do not. And those comparisons indeed point to a higher risk of cancer with the consumption of tobacco products. Even with pipes.
That being said, there are many other pleasures or habits in life that carry increased risk to your health. Bad eating, no excercise, reckless driving, overconsumption of foods or beverages of any kind. Being a vegetarian for instance, is not all that either, since without good management and variety you would easily get a deficiency in protein intake, accompanied with vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It has been said that being a bad vegetarian is worse for your health than not being one at all. ;-)
Now, is smoking worth that increased health risk to you or not ? That is a personal decision, perhaps influenced by those around you, that no-one can make for you.
Call a duck a duck. Yes there's increased risk for olfactory afflictions (cancerous and other) with pipe smoking. If you fret about it, then quit. But let's be consistent and don't go eat that Big Mac for lunch every day either :mrgreen:
Personally, I recon that smoking less cigarettes (perhaps one day none at all) and smoke more pipe, is a good switch. I still try to exercise each day, eat right, drink in moderation. I would add to that that it is increasingly important for a pipe or cigar smoker to have good and solid oral hygiene. Brush teeth at least twice a day, use a good mouth wash. My dentist, who knows I smoke, seems to agree.
Sorry for the long post. These are monthly debates and discussions for me. And I enjoy them since it's usually over a cigar and a good drink with very intelligent people, including theologians (is it right for a Christian to smoke ;-) ) and people in the medical field.

 

[nsfisher]

Good post Mick, disspite the research, I do not believe there is a foolproof answer. Does smoking increase risk of Cancer? Probably. Will you be cancer free for a lifetime if you do not smoke? Probably not. Why does feeding your family dog leftovers increase it's chances of getting cancer? Disspite all the research done on Cancer studies, it still amazes me that so much is still unknown.

 

[strave19]

Great post Mick,
I think that most of us given this some thought before. Its really a personal thing, and there is no way to really know how much you are increasing your risk by smoking.
Hope all is well nsfisher, keep us posted if you don't mind.

 

[numbersix]

Good post Mick, disspite the research, I do not believe there is a foolproof answer. Does smoking increase risk of Cancer? Probably. Will you be cancer free for a lifetime if you do not smoke? Probably not. Why does feeding your family dog leftovers increase it's chances of getting cancer? Disspite all the research done on Cancer studies, it still amazes me that so much is still unknown.

+1
For what it is worth, my grandfather lived to the ripe old age of 92 and smoked a pipe all of his life (no cancer). My parents were both heavy cig smokers for over 30 yrs, quit about 25 yrs ago - no cancer as well. Some of it may indeed be due to genetics...
Lots of things to take into consideration...
For what it's worth, from my own POV: all things in moderation. If you're the type of person who can't do that, then maybe its best to avoid temptation, i.e. know your weaknesses and avoid them.
But on the other hand, if you don't smoke heavily and cancer doesn't seem to run in the family, the pros may outweigh the cons.

 

[lankfordjl]

Thanks for the post Mick. Your statements are true. I believe the problem is abusive behavior. Anything abused can cause health problems...smoking, eating, exercise, sexaul behavior, drinking water, etc. Too much of any of these lead to health risks. Self-control and moderation are keys. Abusive behaviors usaully result from addiction. If you are a person prone to addictive behavior or obsessive behavior, then you must make an educated decision whether to continue a behavior. And as said previously with cancer - genetics predisposition is a major factor as well.

 

[cigrmaster]

I think the odds are greater that you will die in a car wreck than you will from mouth cancer due to smoking a pipe. Life is about risks, I prefer to risk my life doing something I really enjoy, rather than live it in fear of one day MAYBE dying from it. Only you can decide what risks you are willing to take.

 

[spartan]

+1 CigrMaster
Buckle up, wash your hands, wrap your tool, pay attention, slow down, etc.....
Use some common sense. If you're worried about it so much then smoke less. There are numerous factors that will effect your personal cancer outcome. Some you can control, some you can't.
The way I see it... By the time I get cancer we'll have figured it out by then. And for you older guys... well, you don't have too many years left so... go big or go home. ::

 

[cigrmaster]

storient, don't go bad mouthing the greatest sangwich ever conceived by man. My last meal will consist of 4 big macs, a large fry and a giant coke. Talk about Nirvana....yeah baby.

 

[meerschaumsteve]

I want to thank everybody for the honest replies.
I think I'm going to continue to enjoy my pipe hobby, and not stress over what has some teeny chance of happening.

 

[matchstickman]

If you believe everything that the media tells you, ANYTHING can give you cancer. USB cable, TV remotes, too much water, too little sleep, touching light bulbs, and probably even large amounts of orange juice can give you cancer. Yes, there is a certain link between tobacco use and a higher chance of cancer, but given the amount of things in this world that can give you cancer, I choose not to worry about it. The calm and peace of mind that I get from smoking my pipe and the stress relief that I get from it far outweighs the risk for me, but I also don't smoke my pipe very often. I also grew up in a house with 4 cigarette smokers, and the second I woke up every day there was a cigarette fog hanging over everything in the house, so I probably have a genetic pre-disposition to it anyway. As with most things in life, I say, "What the hell? You only live once." I agree with whoever stated above that worrying about getting cancer will probably make you worse off in the long run. Enjoy it. It's relaxing, meditative, and peaceful.

 

[topd]

Don't text while driving.

Don't be a passenger with a drunk driver.

Don't play golf during a lighting storm.

Don't eat fried chicken "every day".

Don't mess with that wire if you don't know what your doing.

Don't tell your wife she looks fat in that dress......

Use good common sense, but enjoy life and take what comes, because it may come regardless.....

 

[mluyckx]

I think I'm going to continue to enjoy my pipe hobby, and not stress over what has some teeny chance of happening

Attaboy :rofl:

 

[photoman13]

I will die of cancer. List of family members that died of some form of cancer.

Grandma

Grandpa

Grandpa's second wife

Great grandma

Great grandpa

Great great grandma

Great great grandpa
Seem inevitable. So I say screw it why worry.