Tobacco-attributable cancer burden: A global review

Abstract

In 1990, there were about 9.3 million new cases of cancer worldwide. In this paper, we attempt to estimate what proportion of this total can be ascribed to tobacco smoking. We have not concerned ourselves here with other forms of tobacco use (chewing, snuff) or with the adverse effects of environmental tobacco smoke. First, which cancers are associated with smoking? In fact, epidemiologists have claimed at some time or another to have observed an increased risk for every single cancer type. Since we cannot be sure how much of this is the result of study design or analysis, we decided to include as tobacco-related cancers only those classified as such by the International Agency for Research on Cancer: lung, oral cavity and pharynx; larynx; oesophagus; pharynx; kidney and urinary bladder.