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CERVICAL CANCER

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BRIEF EDITORIAL:
JNCI'S GUTTER TACTICS

Note that despite the publication in April 1996, in JNCI Monograph 21, of the NIH Consensus Statement on cervical cancer that is tantamount to abandoning the claim that smoking causes cervical cancer, in 1997 JNCI still published two completely inaccurate letters attempting to insinuate that there is such a connection (Tokudome S. Semen of smokers and cervical cancer risk. JNCI 1997;89:96-97; and Phillip Whidden [of Association for Nonsmokers' Rights] JNCI 1997;89:520).

 

The Tokudome letter conveyed the falsehood that "tobacco smoke constituents/metabolites or mutagens/carcinogens will be conveyed to the cervical mucus and act as independent initiators/promoters in the carcinogenesis or interact with the oncogenes of HPV" in active smoking. This has been discredited by FX Bosch et al. (Int J Epidemiol 1994 Oct;23(5):1100-1101, with a repudiation of Whidden by Phillips & Davey Smith on the same page). It was shown to be the result of confounding, because there is no association of smoking with cervical cancer in known HPV positives. Tokudome cited nothing but such presumptively confounded studies blaming ETS for cervical cancer in non-smokers as well.

 

Even more despicably, Tokudome speculated that "tobacco-related mutagens/carcinogens in a smoking sex partner's semen/seminal fluid are applied directly to the cervix mucus membrane during sexual intercourse and may possibly play some role in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer," citing no more support for this than studies showing that condoms, which reduce HPV infections, reduce cervical cancer.

Whidden added to this bizarre contention with remarks that "digital stimulation of the vagina by fingers coated with tobacco tars -- might well add up to a significant burden and might provide a trigger for a rise in risk for cervical cancer in women whose long-time male sexual partners are smokers."

The editors of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute know that it is reckless and irresponsible to publish such speculations in the absence of evidence of any disease in need of explanation by them. Smoking does not cause cervical cancer in the first place. It was falsely blamed for disease caused by HPV.

 

These short letters are naturally very useful for uncritical antismokers. And of course they were publicized in the mass media as well, with the implication that with the "prestige" of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute behind them, they must be true.

 

Thus, the editors of JNCI are guilty of deliberately ignoring the scientific evidence, and sponsoring and encouraging purely malicious and defamatory nonsense to deceive the public. They are guilty of viciously attempting to cause emotional injury and feelings of humiliation in smokers, of purposely trying to cause unjustified and unwarranted social discrimination against smokers, and to destroy smokers' personal relationships.

 

This is all in the supposed name of "science," and with the funding of the federal government. 

Herrero R. Epidemiology of cervical cancer. JNCI 1996; Monograph 21:1-6. CC incid decr, adeno incr <50y. Usually 5-10% of cc. P4 Types 16, 18, 31 & 33 "are the main causal agents of cervical cancer and its precursors." "At present, the existence of HPV-negative cancers is considered uncommon to rare, ..." "Given the presence of HPV in virtually all cervical cancers and the fact that low-grade lesions are now considered one of the manifestations of infection, it appears that the initial event in most instances of cervical neoplasia, including invasive cancer, is infection with one of these viruses."

 P5 "However, the correlation of smoking and sexual behavior has made it particularly difficult to disentangle its independent effect. In several studies (Olsen 1995; Munoz 1992; Eluf-Neto 1994) that have been able to adjust for the effect of HPV, the association with smoking disappeared after adjustment." [note Herrero is from IARC.] National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement: 

Cervical Cancer, April 1-3, 1996. Monograph JNCI 1996; 21:vii-xix.

 "Conclusions: Carcinoma of the cervix is causally related to infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Reducing the rate of HPV infection by changes in sexual behaviors in young people and/or through the development of an effective HPV vaccine would reduce the incidence of this disease...." No mention of smoking in conclusion. Pviii, smoking is given short shrift as merely a "factor under investigation." 
 

Courtesy of Carol Thompson
Smokers' Rights Action Group
P.O. Box 259575
Madison, WI 53725-9575
Phone: 608-249-4568