Are male and female smokers at equal risk of smoking-related cancer: evidence from a Swedish prospective study

This study examines sex differences in the relative risks of lung cancer an d other smoking-related cancers (i.e. cancers of the upper respiratory trac t, oesophagus, pancreas, bladder. and renal pelvis). Data on smoking habits in 1963 from a random sample of 56,000 men and women were linked with info rmation on new cases of cancer for 1964 - 89. Compared with people who have never smoked, the relative risks of lung cancer at different levels of pac k-years completed in 1963 (>5, 6 - 15; 16 - 25 and 25+ pack-years) were 1.6 , 4.4, 14.2, and 17.9 for men, and 2.1, 6.3, 10.3, and 16.5 for women. The corresponding relative risks of other smoking-related cancers were 1.8, 3.0 5.4, and 6.4 for men, and 2.0, 3.1, 5.0, and 6.5 for women. These results suggest that men and women have similar relative risks of smoking-related c ancers at different levels of smoking.