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Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and risk of adenocarcinoma of the lung
Author(s) -
Boffetta Paolo,
Ahrens Wolfgang,
Nyberg Fredrik,
Mukeria Anush,
BrüskeHohlfeld Irene,
Fortes Cristina,
Constantinescu Vali,
Simonato Lorenzo,
BaturaGabryel Halina,
Lea Suzanne,
Gaborieau Valérie,
Benhamou Simone
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19991126)83:5<635::aid-ijc12>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - odds ratio , medicine , tobacco smoke , lung cancer , confidence interval , adenocarcinoma , confounding , spouse , case control study , population , environmental health , passive smoking , demography , smoke , cancer , sociology , anthropology , physics , meteorology
We conducted a case‐control study of adenocarcinoma of the lung and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in 7 countries. We interviewed 70 cases of adenocarcinoma of the lung and 178 population or hospital controls. All subjects had smoked fewer than 400 cigarettes in their lifetimes. Ever exposure to ETS from the parents during childhood was associated with a decreased risk [odds ratio (OR) 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3–1.2], and there was a suggestion of a decreasing trend in risk with increasing duration of exposure. Ever exposure to ETS from the spouse was not associated with an increased risk (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.5–1.8), while the OR of ever exposure to ETS at the workplace was 1.5 (95% CI 0.8–3.0). For both exposure sources, an increased risk was observed among the highly exposed, and the OR among those with the highest duration of exposure to ETS from the spouse or at the workplace was 1.8 (95% CI 0.5–6.2). A similar risk was estimated for current exposure to ETS from either source. Our results confirm previous reports of a weak effect of adult ETS exposure on risk of adenocarcinoma of the lung. Bias and confounding cannot be excluded as explanations for the apparent decrease in risk from childhood exposure. Int. J. Cancer 83:635–639, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.