Through its antiestrogenic effect,cigarette smoking is linked to a variety
of hormone-related disorders, both benign and malignant. Diseases that depe
nd on this hormone for growth and development tend to be less common among
smokers, such as endometrial cancer and uterine fibroids. Some normal, estr
ogen-dependent physiologic processes are affected by smoking, making osteop
orosis and premature menopause more common among women who smoke. In other
disorders, the link between sex hormone levels, cigarette smoking; and dise
ase development is less clear.