Tobacco smoke is a multicomponent mixture of chemical, organic, and inorganic compounds, as well as additive substances and radioactive materials. Many studies have proved the carcinogenicity of various of these compounds through the induction of DNA adducts, mutational potential, epigenetic changes, gene fusions, and chromosomal events. The tumor microenvironment plays an important role in malignant tumor formation and progression through the regulation of expression of key molecules which mediate the recruitment of immune cells to the tumor site and subsequently regulate tumor growth and metastasis. In this chapter, we discuss the effects of inhaled tobacco smoke in the tumor microenvironment of the respiratory tract. The mechanisms underlying these effects as well as their link with tumor progression are analyzed.
Keywords: Acute inflammation; Angiogenesis; Cancer-associated fibroblasts; Carcinogenicity; Chronic inflammation; Epigenetics; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Extracellular matrix; Lung cancer; Metabolism; Metastasis; Tobacco smoke; Tumor growth; Tumor microenvironment; Tumor-associated macrophages.