Underage Smoke Exposure Raises Bladder Cancer Risk

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Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Urology / Nephrology;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 09 Nov 2006 - 10:00 PDT


A child is more likely to develop bladder cancer later in life if he/she is exposed to second-hand smoke or smokes, say European researchers. A child who starts smoking before the age of 15 is three times as likely to suffer from bladder cancer later in life than a child who doesn't smoke.

You can read about this study in the International Journal of Cancer.

The researchers found that adults who do not smoke, but are exposed to someone else's smoke at home, have no raised risk of bladder cancer. Children, on the other hand, who are exposed to second hand smoke in the home have a 40% higher risk, compared to children who are not exposed to passive smoking in the home.

In the UK bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer among men.

(Second hand smoke = Passive smoking = Inhaling the smoke of another smoker, but not smoking yourself)

The scientists looked at information on 429,906 Europeans (European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition - EPIC). 633 of these people developed bladder cancer within six years.

The authors of the report concluded that children are more sensitive to carcinogens than adults (carcinogens - agents that cause cancer).

Previous studies had revealed a link between smoking and bladder cancer risk. This is the first study to show a link between raised bladder cancer risk later in life and exposure to second-hand smoke for children.

"Tobacco smoke and bladder cancer - in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition"
Bine Kjøller Bjerregaard, Ole Raaschou-Nielsen, Mette Sørensen, Kirsten Frederiksen, Jane Christensen, Anne Tjønneland, Kim Overvad, Francoise Clavel Chapelon, Gabriele Nagel, Jenny Chang-Claude, Manuela M. Bergmann, Heiner Boeing, Dimitrios Trichopoulos, Antonia Trichopoulou, Eleni Oikonomou, Franco Berrino, Domenico Palli, Rosario Tumino, Paolo Vineis, Salvatore Panico, Petra HM Peeters, H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, Lambertus Kiemeney, Inger Torhild Gram, Tonje Braaten, Eiliv Lund, Carlos A. Gonzalez, Göran Berglund, Naomi Allen, Andrew Roddam, Sheila Bingham, Elio Riboli
International Journal of Cancer Volume 119, Issue 10, Pages 2412 - 2416
Click here to view abstract

The research was funded by:

Europe Against Cancer Programme of the European Commission (SANCO), Deutsche Krebshilfe, German Cancer Research Center, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Danish Cancer Society, Health Research Fund (FIS) of the Spanish Ministry of Health, Spanish Regional Governments of Andalucia, Asturia, Basque Country, Murcia and Navarra, Cancer Research, UK, Medical Research Council, UK, Stroke Association, UK, British Heart Foundation, Department of Health, UK, Food Standards Agency, UK, Wellcome Trust, UK, Greek Ministry of Health, Greek Ministry of Education, Italian Association for Research on Cancer, Regione Sicilia, Compagnia di San Paolo, Provincia Regionale Ragusa, Comune di Ragusa, AVIS Ragusa, Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports, National Cancer Registry, Regional Cancer Registries Amsterdam, East and Maastricht of the Netherlands, World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), Swedish Cancer Society, Swedish Scientific Council, Regional Government of Skåne, Sweden, Norwegian Cancer Society, Research Council of Norway

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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