Abstract
BackgroundPrevious studies have provided limited support to the association between tobacco smoking and lymphomas with weak evidence of a dose-response relationship.MethodsWe investigated the relationship between tobacco smoking and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphomas (HL) through logistic regression spline models. Data were derived from an Italian hospital-based case-control study (1999–2014), which enrolled 571 NHLs, 188 HLs, and 1004 cancer-free controls. Smoking habits and other lifestyle factors were assessed through a validated questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsCompared to never smokers, people smoking ≥15 cigarettes/day showed increased risks of both NHL (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.97) and HL (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.25, 4.87); the risk was particularly elevated for follicular NHL (OR = 2.43; 95% CI:1.31–4.51) and mixed cellularity HL (OR = 5.60, 95% CI: 1.31, 23.97). No excess risk emerged for former smokers or people smoking <15 cigarettes/day. Spline analyses showed a positive dose-response relationship with significant increases in NHL and HL risks starting from 15 and 21 cigarettes/day, respectively, with the most evident effects for follicular NHL and mixed cellularity HL. Smoking duration was significantly associated with the HL risk only (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.16, 3.99).ConclusionsThese findings support a role of tobacco smoking in the etiology of both NHL and HL, providing evidence of a direct association of risk with smoking intensity.
Highlights
Previous studies have provided limited support to the association between tobacco smoking and lymphomas with weak evidence of a dose-response relationship
Early age at starting smoking (i.e.,
A similar pattern of risk emerged for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), with an increased risk among current smokers who smoked more than 15 cigarettes/day (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.25, 4.87) as compared to never smokers (Table 2)
Summary
Previous studies have provided limited support to the association between tobacco smoking and lymphomas with weak evidence of a dose-response relationship. In Europe, approximately 93,500 new cases of nonHodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 17,500 of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) were diagnosed in 2012 [1]. When combined, these two lymphoid malignancies represent the eighth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Europe (more than 3% of all new cancer cases), and the sixth in Italy [1]. The etiology of NHL and HL remains poorly understood with just few firmly established risk factors. Tobacco smoking is a potential risk factor for NHL and HL worth scrutinizing. Several investigations have explored the role of tobacco smoking on the risk of NHL pointing to the etiologic heterogeneity among NHL subtypes [7, 8]. It has been consistently shown that smoking may be associated only with certain
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
