Which Cancers Are Linked to Smoking in Canada?
Key takeaways
Health Canada estimates 72% of lung cancer cases in Canada are caused by smoking, and links tobacco to cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, stomach, kidney, liver, colon and rectum, and cervix, plus acute myeloid leukemia. For most of them the risk falls after quitting.
This page summarizes Health Canada information and is not medical advice. It does not describe treatment. Symptoms that worry you belong with a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Which cancers does Health Canada link to smoking?
Its overview page on smoking and your body names lung cancer, cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus, and cancers of the bladder, stomach, kidney and pancreas. It also lists leukemia and says female smokers are at greater risk of cervical cancer. Health Canada’s separate health-effect pages add liver and colorectal cancer. Smoking overall is tied to more than two dozen diseases and conditions.
Cancer by cancer: what the official pages say
| Cancer | What Health Canada states |
|---|---|
| Lung | About 72% of cases in Canada are caused by smoking; smokers are about 25 times more likely to die from it |
| Mouth (oral) | Smokers have roughly 5 to 10 times the risk; about 40% of new cases in 2015 were due to smoking |
| Throat (larynx) | Smoking causes it; alcohol multiplies the risk |
| Bladder | Linked to roughly half of diagnosed cases; up to six times the risk |
| Stomach | About 20% of 2015 cases were due to smoking |
| Kidney | About 17% of 2015 cases were linked to smoking |
| Liver | About 24% of 2015 cases were linked to smoking; up to 60% higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| Colorectal | Smokers have up to 60% higher risk |
| Cervical | About 26% of 2015 cases were due to smoking; almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV |
| Acute myeloid leukemia | Up to 50% higher risk |
The shares are Health Canada’s, taken from the individual pages, and each refers to the year and population on that page. Treat them as separate estimates, not figures that add up. For lung cancer the two Health Canada pages differ: the lung cancer page says 72%, while the smoking and your body page says 85% of new cases.
Does the risk fall after you quit?
Health Canada says yes, with different timelines:
- Throat cancer: half the risk of a current smoker after 5 to 9 years, down 80% after 20 or more years.
- Lung cancer: about half the risk of someone who continues to smoke after 10 to 15 years.
- Stomach cancer: similar to a never-smoker 10 years after quitting.
- Kidney cancer: risk falls by up to 25% after 15 or more years.
- Cervical and oral cancer: the same as a never-smoker after 20 or more years.
Several pages add that continuing to smoke after a diagnosis can reduce survival chances. Our lung recovery page and the quitting timeline show the shorter milestones.
How do I find out if I should be screened for lung cancer?
Eligibility depends on age and smoking history in your province. Use the lung screening eligibility checker, and work out your history with the pack-year calculator. For what smoking does to the organs themselves, see smoker’s lungs; for national trends, see smoking statistics for Canada.
Health information is general and educational. It does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Read the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of lung cancer is caused by smoking in Canada?
Health Canada's lung cancer page estimates 72% of lung cancer cases in Canada are caused by smoking. Its general page on smoking and your body gives 85%, so figures depend on the page and year.
Does smoking cause cancers other than lung cancer?
Yes. Health Canada links smoking to cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, stomach, kidney, liver, colon and rectum and cervix, and to acute myeloid leukemia.
Does cancer risk go down after you quit?
Health Canada says it does for the cancers it covers, at different speeds: halved for throat cancer after 5 to 9 years, and for lung cancer after 10 to 15 years. Cervical and oral cancer risk match a never-smoker's after 20 or more years.
Sources
- Smoking and your body — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and lung cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and oral cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and bladder cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and Stomach Cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and Cervical Cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and Kidney Cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and Liver Cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and Colorectal Cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and Leukemia — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and Throat Cancer — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.