Effect of Smoking on the Serum Levels of Vitamins and on the Development of Laryngeal Cancer or Leukoplakia

Abstract

It is believed that smoking causes benign or malignant neoplasms in the larynx. One of the possible mechanisms proposed is the inactivation of folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ that occurs in smokers, thus leading to malignant changes in the respiratory epithelia. The serum concentrations of folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ of various patients in our outpatient clinic have been measured, and it was shown that these are relatively low in smokers and ex-smokers within 2 years from cessation. One of the vocal cord leukoplakia patients presented has shown dramatic improvement by the treatment of halting smoking and oral supplement of folic acid and vitamin B₁₂.