November 05, 2025

How Smoking Rewires Your Immune System to Drive Pancreatic Cancer

7 minutes

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and smoking pushes the disease to appear earlier in life and progress more aggressively
Chemicals in cigarette smoke flip immune cells into roles that protect tumors instead of fighting them, leaving your body defenseless
Smokers build up more regulatory T cells, which shut down natural anti-cancer immunity and make treatment outcomes worse
Cigarette smoke activates scarring and chronic inflammation in your pancreas, creating a hardened environment where tumors thrive and resist therapy
Quitting smoking is a direct way to protect your pancreas and lower your cancer risk

...more

By Dr. Mercola

4.6

14871,487 ratings

November 05, 2025

7 minutes

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and smoking pushes the disease to appear earlier in life and progress more aggressively
Chemicals in cigarette smoke flip immune cells into roles that protect tumors instead of fighting them, leaving your body defenseless
Smokers build up more regulatory T cells, which shut down natural anti-cancer immunity and make treatment outcomes worse
Cigarette smoke activates scarring and chronic inflammation in your pancreas, creating a hardened environment where tumors thrive and resist therapy
Quitting smoking is a direct way to protect your pancreas and lower your cancer risk

...more