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Study: Strongest proof yet links tobacco, cervical cancer
June 17, 1997
Web posted at: 9:22 p.m. EDT (0122 GMT)CHICAGO (CNN) -- A tobacco carcinogen was found among women with cervical cancer in a new study, providing one of the strongest links to date between that type of cancer and cigarette smoke.
The carcinogen also was found in women exposed to secondhand smoke, suggesting that environmental smoke may also be linked to cervical cancer, according to researchers. The carcinogen, known as NNK, has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
"This is an extremely important finding that should lead to further studies in women who smoke, and those exposed to secondhand smoke, to find out how this carcinogen interacts with cervical cells to cause cancer," said Dr. Steven Waggoner of the University of Chicago, who conducted the study.
Studies from the past 10 to 15 years have suggested that among women who smoke, the risk of cervical cancer is two to five times higher than in nonsmokers, Waggoner said.
While previous research was based on questionnaires and medical records, the current study was based on physical evidence that compared cervical mucous in smokers and nonsmokers.
Waggoner's study did not look at other lifestyle factors, such as the number of sexual partners, that have been linked to cervical cancer.
"But previous studies have looked at factors such as socioeconomic status and diet," Waggoner said. "When those factors were controlled for, smoking still remained as an independent factor linked to cervical cancer."
Findings from the current study are published in this week's issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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