Lung cancer and women: results of a French case-control study

Abstract

Ninety-six women with histologically confirmed lung cancer and 192 matched controls were involved in an international case-control study conducted from 1976 to 1980. The aim of this study was an examination of the effects of different smoking habits, especially the type of cigarettes smoked (light or dark tobacco and filter or nonfilter use) on the occurrence of lung cancer in French females. All these patients were either nonsmokers or lifetime cigarette smokers. Matched relative risk (RR) of smokers compared to nonsmokers was found to be increased for both Kreyberg I (RR = 6.6) and Kreyberg II (RR = 2.1) categories; however, this increase was significant (P less than 0.0001) only for Kreyberg I lung cancer. A significant increase (P less than 0.0001) in matched RR was found with early age at first cigarette smoked, daily consumption, duration of smoking, frequency of inhalation, use of dark tobacco and use of nonfilter cigarettes. Matched RR associated with smokers not always using dark tobacco and those smoking only dark tobacco as compared to nonsmokers were significantly increased (trend test P less than 0.0001). On the contrary, the increase of RR was not significant when either daily consumption, or duration of smoking, or age at first cigarette was taken into account. Lung cancer appeared to be associated with daily consumption and use of nonfilter cigarettes in a matched logistic regression.