One out of four Los Angeles women smoke. A new study has revealed that smoking increases the risk of not only lung cancer in women but also other cancers including breast, endometrium (uterine lining), and colon. The results of the study were presented at a May 24 press briefing, held in advance of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2011 Annual Meeting this June. As part of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project’s Breast Cancer Prevention Trial, lead author Stephanie R. Land, PhD. and colleagues analyzed the risk for invasive cancer of the breast, endometrium, lung, and colon in 11,064 women at elevated risk for breast cancer. After an average 8.7 years of follow-up, 395 women had been diagnosed with breast cancer, 66 with lung cancer, 35 with colon cancer, and 74 with endometrial cancer. Cigarette smoking was associated with a higher risk for colon cancer and, not surprisingly, lung cancer. The risk for colon cancer was five times greater in women who had smoked for 35 years than in women who had never smoked; the risk was 7% greater for those smoked for 15 to 35 years. The risk for lung cancer was even greater; women who smoked more than one pack of cigarettes per day for more than 35 years had a risk that was 30 times higher than those who had never smoked. Women who smoked less than one pack per day for more than 35 years had a 13-fold increase in lung cancer risk.
The authors found that low physical activity was associated with a 72% increased risk for endometrial cancer; however, physical activity was not significantly associated with the risk for other cancers. In contrast to other studies, additional findings were that alcohol use was not associated with breast cancer risk and that it appeared to lower the risk for colon cancer. Women who consumed no alcohol had a 21% lower risk for colon cancer, whereas those who had up to 1 drink per day had a 65% reduced risk for colon cancer. No significant difference was observed for other cancers, and more than one drink per day was not associated with an increased cancer risk.
As previously reported , compared to women who never smoked, the breast cancer risk was 34% higher for women who smoked between 15 and 35 years. The risk was 59% for women who smoked for at least 35 years; however, there was no increased risk for breast cancer for women who smoked for less than 15 years.
Credit : Dr. Rahul Bhargava (Bone Marrow Transplant Specialist, Hematologist, Hemato Oncologist- 15 Years of Experience)
