Risk factors for lung cancer among women in Poland
Introduction
Lung cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death (9.6% of female cancer death) in women in Poland. The age-adjusted lung cancer mortality rates among females grew from 3.2 per 100 000 population in 1963 to 10.6 per 100 000 population in 1993. The time trend in lung cancer mortality among women shows a rapid increase [22].
It is generally assumed that most lung cancer cases in both men and women are due to smoking. Tobacco smoking is associated with about 57–80% of lung cancer cases in women living in industrialized countries [6].
Tobacco smoking among women in Poland has been strongly increasing since about 1960. In 1995, 42.2% of women of the age group 30–39 years, and 39.6% of women of the age group 40–49 smoked cigarettes every day [23].
In recent years, numerous studies have indicated an elevation in lung cancer risk for nonsmoking women who live with smokers, with a summary excess risk of approximately 30% [4].
Results of an epidemiological study suggest association of diet and alcohol consumption with lung cancer risk 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25.
Occupational exposure and environmental pollution include asbestos, radon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These have been hypothesized as lung cancer risk factors [24].
The objective of the present study was to assess the role of smoking, diet and alcohol consumption in lung cancer risk, in a case-control study of women.
Section snippets
Material and methods
Case subjects were 118 women with newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed primary lung cancer who were admitted to the M. Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Institute in Cracow between 1 March, 1991 and 30 June, 1994.
Squamous-cell carcinoma was predominant type accounting for 37% of all cases, 33% were small-cell cancers, 22% adenocarcinoma, and 8% were mixed and other cell types.
Female controls were 141 healthy women randomly selected from next-of-kin of other patients without tobacco related
Univariate analysis
Place of residence and education were not associated significantly with risk of lung cancer (Table 1).
Table 2 shows the relation of smoking status to lung cancer. The current smokers showed a 7-fold increased risk of lung cancer. The relative risk (RR) among smokers declined markedly with later starting age of smoking and increased markedly with number of cigarettes smoked per day. The results showed also an increased risk in smokers compared to non-smokers for duration of smoking and
Discussion
The results of epidemiological studies conducted in different areas of the world have supported the claim that smoking is the main cause of lung cancer [6].
Results of our study supported also cigarette smoking as the most strongly active risk factor in female cancer.
Multivariate standardization revealed that drinking vodka was after tobacco smoking the second factor significantly influencing cancer risk.
An association between alcohol and lung cancer has not been described consistently in the
References (26)
- et al.
Alcohol, beer, and lung cancer in postmenopausal women, The Iowa Women's Health Study
Ann Epidemiol
(1992) - et al.
Saturated fat intake and lung cancer risk among nonsmoking women in Missouri
J Natl Cancer Inst
(1993) - et al.
Smoking, alcohol drinking and serum carotenoids levels
Jpn J Cancer Res
(1987) - et al.
Statistical methods in cancer research—the analysis of case-control studies
Lyon: IARC
(1980) - et al.
Passive smoking and lung cancer in nonsmoking women
Am J Public Health
(1992) - et al.
Diet and lung cancer risk: findings from the Western New York Diet Study
Am J Epidemiol
(1987) - Doll R, Peto R. The Causes of Cancer: Quantitative Estimates of Avoidable Risk of Cancer in the US Today. Oxford:...
- et al.
Dietary vitamin A and C and lung cancer risk in Louisiana
Cancer
(1988) - et al.
Diet and lung cancer in California Seventh Day Adventists
Am J Epidemiol
(1991) - et al.
Dietary factors and risk of lung cancer: results from case-control study, Toronto, 1981–1985
Int J Cancer
(1990)