Cigarette smoking as a risk factor for cancer of the thyroid in women.
OBJECTIVE
Thyroid cancer, whose etiology is largely uncertain, has been negatively associated with cigarette smoking in a several studies. We examined the association between cigarette smoking and risk for female thyroid cancer.


METHODS
A case-control study including 204 histologically verified female thyroid cancer patients and an equal number of hospital controls individually matched with cases by sex, age (+/- 2 years), place of residence and time of hospitalization was carried out during the period 1996-2000. In the analysis of data, univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression methods were applied.


RESULTS
According to univariate analysis, female thyroid cancer was negatively associated with the initiation of smoking at a younger age, before the age of 20 (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.50-0.90). None of the smoking habits remained independently related to female thyroid cancer after adjustment for other factors which were significantly associated with thyroid cancer in the present study.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study do not suggest a role of cigarette smoking in the development of thyroid cancer in women.
Center for Endocrine Surgery, Institute of Endocrinology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. abvzival@Eunet.Yu
Vladan
V
Zivaljevic
Hristina
H
Vlajinac
Jelena
J
Marinkovic
Ivan
I
Paunovic
Aleksandar
A
Diklic
Radan
R
Dzodic
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000209:etiology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology