But the concerns come from a study which looked at skin samples in a laboratory. It didn’t look at people using nicotine gum, lozenges or other products.
What do we know already?
Nicotine is the addictive chemical in tobacco that makes it so hard to give up smoking. But it isn’t thought to be the chemical that causes cancer. Many of the other substances in tobacco, such as tar, are known to cause cancers and to damage the heart.
Because of this, products to help people give up smoking have focused on replacing the addictive nicotine, in a form that doesn’t include the dangerous compounds such as tar. So, you can chew nicotine gum, wear nicotine patches or puff on a nicotine inhaler. All these give you a dose of nicotine, to help you overcome your cravings, without the harmful substances you get from smoking.
In a new study, researchers were investigating the process by which cancers of the head and neck develop. They looked at a type of gene which is important for cell division and reproduction, but which can also cause many types of cancer if it mutates in a certain way.
The scientists’ main aim was to find out how the gene was involved in the development of head and neck cancers. They studied cells from healthy people, and from people with head and neck cancers at different stages.
They also looked at how substances from tobacco and betel nut affected the activity of the mutated gene in the cells. Betel nut is commonly chewed instead of tobacco in parts of Asia. Using tobacco or betel nut is linked to an increased risk of mouth cancer.
What does the new study say?
The study says that the particular mutated gene (called FOXM1) is likely to be a factor in the early growth of head and neck cancers.
Surprisingly, the researchers also found that nicotine increased the activity of the gene, speeding up the rate at which it caused cancerous changes in the skin cells. The extracts of betel nut had no effect.
The researchers say their findings might have implications for nicotine replacement products. They say that if someone had the mutated gene in the skin cells in their mouth, then using nicotine gum, lozenges or inhalers might increase the activity of the gene. They also say that ex–smokers might be more likely than other people to have mutated mouth skin cell genes, because of their previous use of tobacco. However, all this is theoretical, as the researchers haven’t looked specifically at the use of nicotine products.
How reliable are the findings?
This is a laboratory study using skin cells taken from healthy people and skin cells taken from patients with cancer. It’s a big leap from what happens in a Petri dish or test tube to what happens in the human body.
It’s an interesting study which gives a starting point for more research. But the study wasn’t intended to find out whether nicotine replacement products cause cancer, and it doesn’t show that they do. It shows that the chemical nicotine may be involved in the development of some types of cancers, if a gene has already mutated.
Where does the study come from?
The study was carried out by researchers at Queen Mary University of London. It was published in an open–access medical journal called Public Library of Science One (PLoS ONE). It was funded by the university, and by a grant from the Medicines Research Council.
What does this mean for me?
If you’re using nicotine replacement products to give up smoking, don’t panic. Smoking is far more likely to cause cancer, and other diseases like heart disease, than nicotine replacement products. You’re much better off using nicotine products than smoking.
What should I do now?
Don’t stop taking nicotine replacement if it means you’ll simply start smoking again. Smoking is much more dangerous.
If you are worried about your nicotine gum or other products, start by checking that you’re following the instructions on the packet. Don’t take more than the recommended dose. And if you’ve been using them for more than the recommended amount of time (often three to six months) then think about whether you still need them. If you’re not sure, make an appointment to talk to your GP.
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Source: guardian.co.uk
