Cancer & Addiction: How They Lead to One Another

Table of Contents

Key Facts
Alcohol & Cancer
Opioids
Cocaine
Marijuana
Can Cancer Cause Addiction?
What Happens Next?

Many substances, including alcohol and opioids, are closely associated with cancer. Smoking some drugs can raise the risk even more.

But people who develop cancer can also face higher addiction rates, especially if their discomfort is treated with opioid painkillers. As they attempt to manage their pain, they may misuse opioids, and this can lead to a cycle of abuse that takes them into addiction.

Untangling the connection between cancer and addiction isn’t easy. But know that most addictive substances can cause cancerous changes, and many cancer remedies are addictive.

Treatment can help you overcome addictive tendencies, whether you’re struggling with cancer or just trying to prevent it. The sooner you get help, the better.

4 Key Facts About Cancer & Addiction

Key Facts

People with alcohol and drug use disorders have a higher risk of various types of cancer, including lung and stomach cancers.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) says alcohol use is one of the most preventable risk factors for cancer. Alcohol use accounts for 6% of all cancers and 4% of all cancer deaths in the United States, the ACS says.
The connection between opioids and cancerous cells was first theorized in 2002. Since then, many studies have confirmed the link, suggesting that these drugs can speed up tumor growth.
Cigarette smoking is linked to up to 90 percent of lung cancer deaths. People who smoke in addition to using drugs could increase their cancer risks exponentially.

Alcohol & Cancer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that digesting alcohol raises your cancer risks. When you drink alcohol, your body breaks the substance into acetaldehyde. This chemical damages your DNA, and it prevents your body from fixing the damage. Since DNA controls a cell’s normal growth and function, the damage results in out-of-control growth and a cancerous tumor.

The amount that a person drinks over time, not the type of beverage they consume, is closely associated with cancer. And unfortunately, people who develop alcohol use disorder (AUD) face a high risk of several different types of cancer, including the following:

Types	Description
Head & Neck Cancer	Doctors cluster cancers in the mouth, sinuses, nose, and throat into one head and neck cancer category. Alcohol significantly increases your risk of developing these cancers, as beverages come into contact with all these surfaces as they move down your throat and into your stomach. The more you drink, the higher your risk.
Stomach Cancer	People who drink three or more units of alcohol per day are at the highest risk of stomach cancer. People with alcoholism may drink this much regularly. Alcohol is transformed into cancerous substances within the stomach during the digestion process. As that metabolite interacts directly with the stomach lining, cancerous cells can both appear and spread.
Esophageal Cancer	The esophagus is the narrow tube that connects the upper structures of the mouth with the stomach. This structure is exposed to alcohol each time you swallow, and in time, it can develop changes that lead to cancer. People with alcohol use disorder can develop other esophageal problems due to drinking, including life-threatening bleeding, but cancer is among the most serious of all consequences of regular drinking.
Liver Cancer	The hard-working liver processes alcohol’s metabolites into harmless substances that can pass out of the body. Regular drinking can harm this critical organ, eventually leading to cancer. Noncancerous liver changes can sometimes produce unusual test results, prompting people to discuss alcohol abuse with their doctors. But if your liver damage isn’t noticed or addressed, you may keep drinking and develop cancer in time.
Breast Cancer	Breast tissue isn’t exposed to alcohol when you drink. But the substances you ingest move throughout your entire body, including breast tissue. People who drink regularly are at a higher risk of developing these tumors.

Opioids

The opioid drug class is large and includes both prescription painkillers and illicit substances like heroin and fentanyl. While these drugs are often used to control significant pain in people with cancer, they could also cause harm.

In 2002, researchers uncovered a link between opioid drugs and cancer development. They found that opioids enhanced tumor growth, allowed tumors to create a steady blood supply, and allowed tumors to spread. Since 2002, other studies have come to very similar conclusions.

In a study of people using opioids for chronic pain, researchers found higher rates of the following types of cancer:

Type	Description
Lung Cancer	The lungs purify the air we breathe, and contaminants like smog and cigarette smoke can cause cancerous changes and painful tumors. Opioids can cause tumors to form deep within the lungs, and those drugs can make existing tumors get bigger. Risks are higher in those who smoke opioids. For example, some people crush opioid pills and sprinkle the powder onto tobacco. They roll the entire packet into smoking papers and inhale the substances. Practices like this expose delicate lung tissue to opioids directly, increasing cancer risks.
Colorectal Cancer	Opioids aren’t food, but they can move through the digestive system in a similar manner. People who swallow opioid pills, for example, digest these drugs and eliminate the byproducts. The colon is exposed to opioids in this manner, and that can increase the risk of cancer. Some people develop pain or blood in the stool as cancerous symptoms, but others don’t realize they have the issue until it’s far advanced.
Breast Cancer	Once again, breast tissue isn’t directly exposed to most types of opioid ingestion. But as particles move through the bloodstream, they can cause cancerous changes in almost every type of cell, including those within the breasts. Tumors can quickly follow.
Prostate Cancer	Cancerous changes within the prostate develop slowly, but they can cause distress. As tumors advance and get larger, they can impede a man’s ability to urinate properly. Some men also develop urine leakage due to their prostate tumors.
Head & Neck Cancer	People who smoke opioids expose all of the tissues within their mouths and throats to carcinogens. Chewing the pills can do much of the same thing. Those cancerous changes can cause very large tumors that can impede a person’s ability to breathe or eat.
Pancreatic Cancer	The pancreas is a tiny organ that produces fluids that are critical for digestion and blood sugar maintenance. Tumors in this organ can make it very hard for people to maintain a healthy weight despite a good diet.
Ovarian Cancer	A woman’s ovaries are a critical part of her reproductive system. These organs aren’t used for digestion, but they can be exposed to opioids moving throughout the bloodstream. Sometimes, that exposure results in cancerous tumors.

Cocaine

Cocaine is a stimulant drug, capable of dilating veins and arteries. The drug can also cause the heart to beat either too fast or erratically. Every cell in the body relies on the cardiovascular system to stay healthy. Cocaine can disrupt this process.

Researchers say that cocaine can inhibit metabolic processes, promoting cancerous tumor growth. The drug can also cause cell death and cancerous changes.

The following types of cancer are associated with cocaine:

Type	Description
Pancreatic Cancer	In small studies, researchers found that cocaine can promote the development of cancer within the pancreas. Researchers say that more studies are required to determine exactly why cocaine causes these tumors, but it’s clear the connection exists.
Lung Cancer	The lungs are very vascular tissues that can suffer due to the effects of regular cocaine use. The risks are larger when the drug is smoked, and unfortunately, many people use the drug in this manner.

Marijuana

Marijuana is a natural substance distilled from plant matter. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says the following: “Using marijuana carries real risks for your health and quality of life.” The drug can affect brain development, memory, intellectual performance, and driving skills.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says 24 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.

Over half of all states have legalized marijuana to treat conditions like chronic pain, nausea, and poor appetite. However, the drug is still illegal under federal law.

Marijuana has also been linked to cancer. Many people smoke the drug, and the plants used to create it are sometimes sprayed with carcinogenic pesticides and other contaminants. Any of these things, or the drug itself, could cause cancer.

These are the two types of cancer most commonly associated with marijuana:

Type	Description
Lung Cancer	Smoking marijuana puts the drug and its contaminants into direct contact with the tissues deep inside the lungs. Experts say the drug could cause cancerous changes that impair your ability to breathe freely and without pain. Some people with a regular marijuana habit develop a deep cough. This symptom could be an early sign of cancer, but some people return to their drugs to make the coughing stop.
Testicular Cancer	Researchers say current and frequent marijuana abuse can lead to cancerous changes within the testicles. Some people develop tumors in just one testicle, but some have issues with both.

Type

Description

Lung Cancer

Smoking marijuana puts the drug and its contaminants into direct contact with the tissues deep inside the lungs. Experts say the drug could cause cancerous changes that impair your ability to breathe freely and without pain.

Some people with a regular marijuana habit develop a deep cough. This symptom could be an early sign of cancer, but some people return to their drugs to make the coughing stop.

Testicular Cancer

Researchers say current and frequent marijuana abuse can lead to cancerous changes within the testicles. Some people develop tumors in just one testicle, but some have issues with both.

Can Cancer Cause Addiction?

While it’s clear that using drugs can lead to cancerous changes in almost every cell within the body, researchers also say that people who develop cancer can then develop addiction.

Cancer in any type of the body is painful. Tumors grow very large very quickly, and they compress other tissues within the body. Surgeries, injections, radiotherapy, and other treatments for cancer can also be very painful.

Doctors use medications like opioids to help people overcome their cancer-related pain. Sometimes, that causes problems.

In 2021, researchers examined published data about addiction in people with cancer. They cited a study from the National Veteran Health Administration in which 6.6% of people with cancer also had a substance use disorder. They also cited a study of 169,162 adult cancer survivors in which people with cancer had a greater likelihood of taking opioids than people without cancer, but not necessarily higher rates of abuse.

They wrote: “Opioids should not be considered, even in cancer patients, without evaluating the patient’s risk for OUD, assessing their pain, and discussing with them the risks and benefits of opioid therapy.”

Opioids work by raising the amount of feel-good chemicals deep within the brain. Some people develop an emotional and physical attraction to these chemicals, and in time, they use drugs not to address cancer-related pain but to get high.

People without opioid prescriptions aren’t safe. Some people head to dealers to buy street drugs like heroin to ease discomfort from cancer. They may start using drugs for pain, but they may keep using them due to addiction.

What Happens Next?

Cancer is very serious, but it’s also often treatable. Doctors can use a variety of very important therapies to help people overcome cancer. Sometimes, those therapies result in complete remission and a future without cancer.

People with addictions are entitled to pain relief during their treatments. A history of addiction means your doctor must choose therapies very carefully and ask lots of questions about how you’re using your medications and how you’re feeling. But with proper care and monitoring, you can get appropriate pain relief for cancer pain without worsening addiction.

If you don’t have cancer, the risk of those tumors could entice you to take charge. The sooner you stop misusing substances, the less you’ll expose your tissues to carcinogens. Treatment teams can use medications, therapy, or both to help you understand how the addiction developed and what should come next.

Reach out to us today to find out how addiction can be treated and what should happen next.

Updated April 25, 2024

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