Lung Cancer

Women More Vulnerable to Cigarette Risks
Women may be more vulnerable than men to tobacco's cancer-causing effects. Dr. Natasha Buckshee of New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City used computerized tomography (CT) to scan 1,000 long-term smokers over age 60 for signs of lung cancer. Cancer turned up in 10 men and 19 women. After adjusting for other risk factors, women smokers were shown to have a 2.3-fold higher risk of developing lung cancer than men. The findings were presented at the American College of Chest Physicians meeting in November.

So what pushes some people to smoke while others do not? A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta shows that adults who had multiple stressful events in childhood—emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, domestic violence, parental separation or divorce, or growing up with a substance-abusing, mentally ill, or imprisoned household member—were 5.4 times more likely to start smoking by 14 years of age and twice as likely to continue smoking as adults, compared to those with less traumatic childhoods, suggesting that tobacco serves as a treatment for anxiety, depression, or anger.

Anda RF, Croft JB, Felitti VJ, et al. Adverse childhood experiences and smoking during adolescence and adulthood. JAMA 1999;282:1652-8.

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