A new study helps explain why smokers face a higher risk of pancreatic cancer—and why their outcomes are often worse than those of nonsmokers.
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center discovered how chemicals from cigarettes fuel tumor growth and block the body’s natural defenses against cancer.
The team focused on a protein called interleukin-22 (IL-22), which plays a role in the environment surrounding pancreatic tumors.
To test its impact, researchers exposed mice with pancreatic cancer to a chemical commonly found in cigarette smoke and other environmental toxins.
The results were striking: tumors grew larger and spread aggressively throughout the body.
“It dramatically changed the way the tumors behave,” said senior study author Dr. Timothy L. Frankel, a surgical oncologist at Michigan Medicine.
“They grew much bigger, and they metastasized. It was really quite dramatic.”
Digging deeper, the team learned that the chemical triggered IL-22 to activate a special type of immune cell called T-regulatory cells, or Tregs.
These cells have a double effect. On one hand, they produce IL-22, which drives tumor growth.
On the other, they suppress the immune system’s ability to fight the cancer. Essentially, the cancer gains a two-pronged advantage: it grows faster while the body’s defenses are shut down.
When the researchers eliminated Treg cells in mice, the effect of the cigarette chemical disappeared, and the tumors stopped growing. This showed that the immune system was central to the process.
The findings also held true in human cells and samples taken from pancreatic cancer patients. Smokers with pancreatic cancer were found to have more of these harmful Treg cells compared to nonsmokers.
The team even tested a potential treatment. They used a drug that blocks the cigarette chemical’s action, and it successfully shrank tumors in mice. This suggests that targeting the signaling pathway may open the door to new therapies—especially when combined with existing immunotherapies, which currently don’t work well against pancreatic cancer because of its highly suppressive environment.
“If we can block these super-suppressive cells, we may be able to unleash the body’s natural ability to fight tumors,” Frankel explained.
While more research is needed, the study highlights the importance of considering smoking history when treating pancreatic cancer patients. Smokers may need different treatment strategies and closer monitoring for early signs of the disease.
Unfortunately, there are no reliable screening tools for pancreatic cancer. Still, people who smoke should be aware of warning signs such as back pain, unexplained weight loss, or yellowing of the skin, and they should discuss any concerns with a doctor.
For those with a family history of pancreatic cancer or other pancreatic conditions, the message is even clearer: avoid smoking. It doesn’t just increase the risk of developing cancer—it can also make the disease far more aggressive.
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Source: University of Michigan.
