Your Body: Tobacco Use and Cancer

Wavebreak Media/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor

Each year, over 340,000 people die from a cancer related to tobacco use.

Tobacco use causes at least 12 types of cancer and cigarette smoking causes 3 in 10 of all cancer deaths.

If you’re a smoker, it is never too late to stop. Here’s what you should know if you want to quit:

  • Ask your doctor for help. There are prescription medications that can help with the brain’s addiction signals that are involved in nicotine addiction.
  • Set a date for when you’ll quit and prepare for it by telling people. Support systems definitely help.
  • Keep in mind that the average successful previous smoker tried to quit at least seven times before finally kicking the habit.

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