ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE AND THE RISK OF CANCER IN ADULTS

The apparent effect of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure on cancer risk has become an important social and political issue. The risk of cancer in non-smokers is often the main reason for prohibiting or restricting smoking in public places. A number of epidemiological studies have shown an association between ETS exposure and lung cancer. However, the strength of this association has still to be estimated. Only a few studies have reported on ETS and cancer from sites other than the lung in adults. No definite conclusions can be drawn at present from a critical review of the epidemiological evidence, but the suggestion of an association is present for sinonasal cancer, while bladder cancer does not seem to be associated to ETS exposure. Positive studies are available for cancers from other sites, including the breast, the uterine cervix and the brain, but these are difficult to interpret.