Is Quitting Smoking Good for Prostate Cancer?

A new study contributes to a more complete picture of the association between smoking and the risk of death from prostate cancer.

Smokers have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, but a higher risk of dying from the disease, according to a large population study led by Lund University in Sweden.

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‘Smoking doesn't seem to raise the risk of prostate cancer but it increased the severity and the risk of dying from prostate cancer.’

It is well known that smokers have an increased risk of developing various cancers, but there have been relatively few studies that have investigated prostate cancer specifically, and that have included clinical cancer information.

The researchers followed more than 350 000 people over several decades, and the results are now published in European Urology.

They used five Swedish population studies with self-reported information on men’s smoking habits. In total, more than 350 000 men were included in the study from 1974 and onwards.

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They were then followed over the years using several national registers. The National Prostate Cancer Registry contributed data on tumor type at diagnosis, cause of detection via symptoms, or a PSA test without forthcoming symptoms (asymptomatic PSA test) and treatment.

During the period covered by the research, 24 731 of the participants developed prostate cancer and 4 322 died as a result of the disease.

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Among other things, the researchers found that over the period that PSA testing has been available as part of routine health check-ups in health care, smokers overall have had a reduced risk of prostate cancer. This is true only for localized prostate cancer, which is the form most often detected by an asymptomatic PSA test.

A probable explanation for the lower risk of prostate cancer in smokers is that they may be less likely to take an asymptomatic PSA test.

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“On the other hand, smokers have a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer, which was something we observed regardless of tumor stage at diagnosis, so this means all forms of prostate cancer, from low risk to metastatic,” says Sylvia Jochems, first author of the study.

The risk was about 20% higher among smokers than among men who had never smoked. The risk increased further if smokers were also overweight (BMI 25-30) or obese (BMI over 30).

Researchers say it is now important to identify the reason why smokers have a poorer prognosis once they have developed prostate cancer. More understanding about whether it is smoking or other risk factors, such as socio-demographic factors, that cause this association.

Source-Medindia