Smoking and Pancreatic Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Tranah Gregory J, Holly Elizabeth A, Wang Furong, Bracci Paige M
Primary Institution: California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute
Hypothesis
Does cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking, along with passive smoke exposure, influence the risk of pancreatic cancer?
Conclusion
Cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, but those who quit smoking for 10 years or more do not have an elevated risk.
Supporting Evidence
- Current cigarette smoking was associated with a 1.9-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
- Former smokers who quit for 10 years had no increased risk compared to never smokers.
- Cigar and pipe smoking were not associated with pancreatic cancer risk.
Takeaway
Smoking cigarettes can make you more likely to get pancreatic cancer, but if you stop smoking for a long time, your risk goes back to normal.
Methodology
A population-based case-control study with in-person interviews to collect exposure data from 532 pancreatic cancer cases and 1701 controls.
Potential Biases
Recall bias due to differential reporting of past smoking by cases versus controls.
Limitations
Potential recall bias and the possibility that eligible cases who died before the interview may have been smokers, affecting the odds ratios.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of cases was 65 years, with 55% men and 78% non-Hispanic white.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0002
Confidence Interval
1.4-2.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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