CIGARETTE-SMOKING AND LARGE-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LUNG

Large cell carcinoma is the fourth most common histological type of lu ng cancer in the United States, Cigarette smoking causes large cell lu ng cancer, but it is uncertain whether the effect varies with the amou nt and duration of smoking, This uncertainty stems from ambiguity in t he histopathological classification of large cell cancer, especially b efore 1971, and the relatively infrequent occurrence of large cell can cer in epidemiological studies, The present case-control investigation demonstrates that the risk of large cell cancer increases with both t he frequency and number of years of cigarette smoking. The odds ratio associated with smoking two or more packs/day was 37.0 (95% confidence interval, 16.4-83.2) in men and 72.9 (35.4-150.2) in women, It is con cluded that cigarette smoking is the predominant cause of large cell l ung cancer.