how long would you have to chew tobacco before it became a very serious risk, such as mouth cancer
2007-05-23 10:02:51 · 10 answers · asked by trek23 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
Impossible to answer. I've been chewing tobacco for 14 years and have had no issues. The best way to answer is how my dentist told me:
"Mouth cancer is the worst cancer to get, but also the hardest to get."
BTW, how am I supposed to compete with a doctor? I said the same thing as her without the mumbo jumbo ricky ticky verbage.
2007-05-23 10:07:49 · answer #1 · answered by Dubbl1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The use of tobacco, either by smoking or by chewing it, is dangerous no matter how long you do it. There's no set time for how long it takes to give you mouth cancer. Some people use tobacco for many, many years with no serious health problems. Other use it for only a few years and get very sick. Why risk it? One thing that doesn't take long is for a person to develop an addiction to nicotine. Then, when you're hooked on tobacco, giving it up is a nightmare.
2007-05-23 10:11:02 · answer #2 · answered by ACM 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone has already said what is true: it basically boils down to genetics (luck). Of course, you could probably do a study to find the statistical likelihood of developing cancer based on frequency and how long you use. Perhaps someone has already done that?
Anyway, clearly the best way to avoid cancer is to not use tobacco in the first place.
Another suggestion you can use to quit: they used to sell fake dip: it was just shredded beef jerky, but it came in a little plastic tin (just like real tobacco). If you're not addicted to nicotine, and just like having something in your mouth, you can buy this stuff (or make it quite easily).
Beef jerky is actually a fairly healthy snack.
2007-05-24 05:35:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is an EXCELLENT question. Many, many people chew tobacco and it is never discssed at the doctor's office.
Here's the deal - it is IMPOSSIBLE to tell. I have seen rather terrible mouth cancers in people who have dipped tobacco as little as 1 year! (In a college baseball player - we had to remove half his tongue) I have also seen the most severe cancers in those who have dipped for 20+ years.
It has to do with your body's natural makeup as well. Those who develop cancer sooner tend to dip many times in a day, tend to dip for longer periods of time (30 minutes or more per dip), and those who DRINK ALCOHOL. Not just drinking WHILE dipping...but any drinking at any time, period. It is also much worse if you happen to be swallowing any of your saliva while dipping.
Chewing/dipping tobacco is not safe. I have seen bad cancers in men and women, boys, and girls - even in an 85 year old woman who grew up on a farm and dipped for years.
Squamous cell cancer of the mouth/tongue/throat is very, very difficult to treat and can be fatal.
Please seek help to discontinue this! Try tucking some nicotine gum into your mouth as though it were dip as a start.
2007-05-23 10:11:46 · answer #4 · answered by DrM 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It really depends on the person. I know people who have been chewing for 40 years and never even got leukoplakia. I also know people who got cancer after doing it for about five years or so. That's the shortest I've heard. And the leukoplakia is generally what turns into cancer, so my guess would be that you're going to see some sings.
2016-04-01 04:40:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on how your body reacts to the chemicals in the tobacco. I don't believe that there is a set time when you can get cancer from dipping tobacco.
2007-05-23 10:07:39 · answer #6 · answered by southernstyle352 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a doctor, but I bet you could get cancer after trying it once. Who knows!
Naturally, if you do it longer, there's more of a chance of getting cancer, but I get the feeling that one evil little molecule can give you cancer.
It's a matter of luck. Some people smoke cigs all their lives and never get sick.
Bottom-line is, there is no good reason to smoke, and no good reason to chew.
2007-05-23 10:07:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no time limit, there are people who have chewed for decades and don't get sick. But there are others who get cancer quite soon.
2007-05-23 10:07:23 · answer #8 · answered by Swamper 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as with smoking, it differs from person to person. some may never get mouth cancer and some may get it quickly.
2007-05-23 10:09:21 · answer #9 · answered by wendy_da_goodlil_witch 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not as long as you're hoping that we will say.
stop being a fool
2007-05-23 10:07:17 · answer #10 · answered by JOHN 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋