888-765-5400CHANGES IN CIGARETTE COMPOSITION MAY EXPLAIN NEW FINDINGS
Smoking Increases Bladder Cancer Risk More Than Thought
Aug. 16, 2011 – Smoking may increase risk for bladder cancer even more than previously believed, and this risk is comparable among male and female smokers. The new study appears in the Aug. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 69,250 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed in 2011 and about 14,990 deaths from bladder cancer.
“Changing the composition of cigarettes may be associated with the strengthening of the association between smoking and bladder cancer risk,” says study author Neal D. Freedman, PhD, MPH, an investigator at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Md.
Tobacco, Cigarettes Changed Over Time
Exactly which additions or subtractions may have increased the already heightened risk is not known because in the past 50 years there have been a number of changes in the type of tobacco, the way it is prepared, and how cigarettes are constructed. Many manufacturers have cut back on tar and nicotine but replaced these with other potential carcinogens such as beta-naphthylamine, which is a known to increase bladder cancer risk.
“Future studies should try to replicate these findings and analyze the constituents of tobacco smoke and identify the components that may have led to this increase,” he says.
The new study looked at close to 500,000 people who answered questions regarding their lifestyle including smoking status between Oct. 25, 1995, and Dec. 31, 2006. Of these, 3,896 men and 627 women developed bladder cancer during follow-up.
Former smokers were 2.2 times more likely to develop bladder cancer than people who never smoked.
Current smokers were four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than people who never smoked, the study showed.
The risks seen in the new study superseded those seen in an accompanying literature review of seven studies that looked at the same association among current smokers.
According to the new estimates, history of current or past smoking comprises 50% of bladder cancer risk among men and 53% of risk seen among women. By contrast, smoking explains 90% of lung cancer, Freedman says.
It was also reported there is a genetic component to bladder cancer risk, and there is also an important occupational component. Certain occupations such as painters, truck drivers, and machinists may increase risk of bladder cancer because of on-the-job exposures.
Men are also are greater risk for bladder cancer than women. Even among never smokers, men are four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than women.
When you use tobacco products, your health insurance premium through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina increases by 30%. Quit and capture those savings in addition to becoming a healthier individual.
For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.
