Case-control study of lung cancer during 1994-1997 in the birth cohort in Tasmania, Australia, with an excess of female cases during 1983-1992.
OBJECTIVE
In Tasmania, Australia, lung cancer incidence for 25-44-year-old women has reached that of 25-44-year-old men despite less smoking by the women. We investigated whether this could be due to greater female-than-male relative risk for smoking.


METHODS
This was a case-control study of lung cancer in the 1939-1964 birth cohort. In person (n = 100) or by proxy, 158 of the 160 cases arising during 1994-1997 were interviewed. Controls were a representative sample of the cohort (response 82.8%). Detailed measurements of tobacco smoking were made by questionnaire, and using the results of 17 machine tests of cigarette "tar" yields.


RESULTS
The male smokers had greater accumulated exposure to smoking and, in reversal of the previously reported excess of female cases in this cohort, most (99/160) of the 1994-1997 cases were men. Nevertheless, the proportions attributable to smoking were similar: 0.86 (0.76-0.97) of male cases, and 0.87 (0.74-0.99) of female cases. Calculated relative to male never-smokers, the estimated relative risks were similar for male and female smokers, particularly with exposure measured by cumulative tar yield of all cigarettes smoked.


CONCLUSIONS
We found no compelling evidence of greater susceptibility to lung cancer for female smokers.
Menzies Centre for Population Health Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Leigh.Blizzard@utas.edu.au
Leigh
L
Blizzard
Terence
T
Dwyer
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013648:Tasmania / Q000453:epidemiology