The association between cigarette smoking and basal cell carcinoma of the eyelids in women.

Abstract

To determine if there is an association between basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid and cigarette smoking. A cross-sectional, retrospective, case-controlled study was done comparing the prevalence of cigarette smoking in 112 patients with biopsy-proven basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid to age and sex-matched controls with other eyelid disorders. Exposure-odds ratios were computed for each group. Patients with basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid were no more likely to be smokers than controls (odds ratio [OR] 1.78, not statistically significant at the 95% confidence interval [CI]). When divided by sex however, there was an association between cigarette smoking and basal cell carcinoma in women (OR 2.87, statistically significant at the 95% CI) but not in men (OR 1.30, not statistically significant at the 95% CI). Basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid is associated with cigarette smoking in women but not in men.