FORCES - ENORMOUS BREAST CANCER STUDY SHOWS NO SMOKING RISK

Cigarette smoking and breast cancer.

John A Baron, Polly A Newcomb, Matthew P Longnecker, Robert Mittendorf, Barry E Storer, Richard W Clapp, Greg Bogdan, and Jonathan Yuen. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention 1996 May;5:399-403.

Another monumental piece of antismoking falsehood is put to rest by this enormous study which shows NO LINK between primary smoking and breast cancer. Notice that this study was released in 1996. The Cancer and other assorted "organ" societies, however, keep telling us that smoking is linked to breast cancer. What more evidence of their dishonesty may we need? There is only one thing that certain segments of the medical establishment, and the antismoking "authoritative sources" deserve: ZERO CREDIBILITY, and all our distrust, and contempt.

...And the media? ALL IS QUIET ON THE VERACITY FRONT.

"Breast cancer patients less than 75 years old were identified from statewide tumor registries in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire; controls were randomly selected from drivers' license lists (age less than 65) or lists of Medicare beneficiaries (age 65-74). Information on reproductive history, medical history, and personal habits including cigarette smoking was obtained by telephone interview. A total of 6,888 cases and 9,529 controls were interviewed."

"There was virtually no relationship between current smoking and breast cancer risk (multivariate odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.92-1.09), and former smokers had barely increased risk (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.19). Similar results were observed among both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. There was no suggestion that heavy or long-term smoking increased or decreased risk, nor were there indications that women who began smoking at an early age were at increased risk, as has been hypothesized. The results of this large population-based study indicate that smoking does not influence the risk of breast cancer, even among heavysmokers who began smoking at an early age."

NOTES:

John A Baron is an epidemiologist of much renown. The study was funded by the US Public Health Service. It is also the largest breast cancer study to date. Cases without a listed phone number, or without a drivers' license if under 65, were excluded to eliminate this potential source of bias from a difference with controls.

The authors comment: "Indeed, most previous studies have noted that cigarette smokers in general are not at substantially altered risk of breast cancer incidence compared to nonsmokers, conclusions that agree with our findings." And: "Thus, in aggregate, there appears to be no association of early smoking with breast cancer risk, even among heavy smokers." "Also, our questionnaire did not include items regarding passive smoking, but in the absence of an effect of active smoking, a major impact of such smaller exposures is implausible."

The American Cancer Society CPS-II study by Calle et al (Am J Epidemiol 1994;139:1001-1007), deemed to have shown a slight risk from smoking, had only 814 cases. The ever versus never smokers OR was 1.03 (0.89-1.19). It noted that smokers were less likely to have had mammography than non-smokers.

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