A 52-year-old man presents with a chronic cough and shortness of breath. He admits to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day for 30 years. Pulmonary function tests reveal chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In counseling this patient, you advise him to stop smoking immediately You also mention that, in addition to emphysema, which of the following organs carries a significantly increased risk of smoking-related cancer?
High-Yield Explanation
Cancer of the pancreas has shown a steady increase in incidence, which is partly related to cigarette smoking. The risk for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas in male smokers is elevated two- to threefold, and a clear dose-response relationship exists. In fact, men who smoke more than two packs a day have a five times greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer than nonsmokers. Smoking does not increase the risk of cancer for the other choices.Diagnosis: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease