Breast cancer and tobacco smoke
2003
Breast Cancer and Tobacco Smoke
Commentary
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Wells A J
Hypothesis
Is there a connection between tobacco smoke and breast cancer risk?
Conclusion
The author argues that the previous study underestimated the risk of breast cancer from both active and passive smoking.
Supporting Evidence
- Previous studies have shown that passive smoking can significantly increase breast cancer risk.
- The Collaborative Group's findings were based on a flawed comparison that did not account for passive smoking exposure.
Takeaway
The study suggests that both smoking and being around smoke can increase the risk of breast cancer, and previous research may have missed this.
Potential Biases
The comparison made in the previous study was flawed as it compared ever-smokers with all never-smokers, ignoring passive smoking exposure.
Limitations
The previous study did not consider the effects of environmental tobacco smoke.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 1.5–3.7; 95% CI, 2.1–4.9; 95% CI, 1.01–2.02; 95% CI, 1.2–2.2
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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