Rectal Cancer in Both Men and Women Can be Triggered by Smoking




smoking and cancer

According to the publication that appeared on November 14, 2007 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, cigarette smoking is linked to a higher incidence of rectal cancer. The article is based on the research conducted by a team of scientists, led by Electra Paskett, Ph.D, of Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.

The researchers investigated the incidence of colorectal cancer in association with past or present smoking habits in a group of almost 147,000 women. The subjects, all of whom were the members of the Women’s Health Initiative, were asked about their smoking history and colorectal health. After an eight-year period, the researchers monitored the results and found out that 1,242 study participants developed colorectal cancer. The higher incidence of the disease was observed in women who had a longer and heavier smoking history.

The study also revealed that women who quit smoking later in life had a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. At the same time, current smokers’ risks of colon cancer were estimated at the same level as those of non-smokers, while rectal cancer occurred more often in smokers. The study failed to show any association between passive smoking and the development of either colon or rectal cancer.

The authors of the study pointed out that the risks of colorectal cancer can be diminished by reducing the amount of smoked cigarettes or by quitting smoking altogether, preferably earlier in life. However, the least probability of developing colorectal cancer is observed in those who have never smoked.

Earlier, in 2005, an article linking smoking to an elevated risk of colorectal cancer was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Other studies, conducted in the recent years, including the research that revealed an increased risk of rectal cancer in a group of Japanese smoking men and published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, have demonstrated a positive association between colon cancer and smoking.

Although the exact mechanism of how cigarette smoking contributes to the development of colorectal cancer is not readily understood, some scientists think that smoking causes genetic damage that is potentially able to destroy colon tissues.

Jimmy Edwards

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Posted on February 13, 2008 
Filed Under Smoking and Health

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