title: A worse prognosis for smokers with prostate cancer.
abstract: To identify phenomena that might explain a higher mortality-to-incidence ratio for prostate cancer among smokers, 359 patients with newly diagnosed tumors at a community hospital were analyzed by tumor stage and grade, host age, obesity, smoking habits and survival. Among the 235 men with nonstage A tumors, stage D disease was independently related to host smoking (odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 4.3, p = 0.015), as well as to higher tumor grade, younger host age and lack of obesity. Stage D disease was present in 69% of 16 heavy smokers, 41% of 44 other smokers and 31% of nonsmokers. The 5-year tumor-specific mortality rate was greater among smokers than nonsmokers with stage D2 disease (88% versus 63%, p < 0.05) or with nonstage A disease (39% versus 17%, p < 0.001). These observations are compatible with earlier metastasis and more aggressive subsequent tumor advancement in smokers, and indicate that smoking habits may contribute to differences in prostate cancer prognosis between populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice, University of California Medical School at Davis, Redding, USA.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Daniell
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015996:Survival Rate