Smoking can increase the risk of certain cancers, including certain types of leukemia. Tobacco smoke in cigarettes contains multiple chemicals that have the potential to cause cancer.

Smoking has been proven to increase the risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Additionally, according to a 2020 study, people with AML who smoke have worse overall survival and treatment outcomes than people who do not.

The reason for the link between smoking and AML is that substances in tobacco get absorbed by the lungs when you smoke it, and they can then spread to other parts of the body via your bloodstream. In AML, these chemicals are absorbed into the bone marrow, which causes DNA damage to those cells.

A particular chemical involved in this risk is benzene. It’s a solvent found in many products and is also present in cigarettes.

It’s important to note that secondhand smoke will also contain these cancer-causing chemicals. No level of secondhand smoke is considered safe.

Quitting smoking is the best way to lower your risk of cancers that are linked to smoking. Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, and a least 70 of these are known to cause cancer.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States. Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of 12 types of cancer, including AML.