title: A pooled analysis of bladder cancer case-control studies evaluating smoking in men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A recent study suggested that risk of bladder cancer may be higher in women than in men who smoked comparable amounts of cigarettes. We pooled primary data from 14 case-control studies of bladder cancer from Europe and North America and evaluated differences in risk of smoking by gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pooled analysis included 8316 cases (21% women) and 17,406 controls (28% women) aged 30-79 years. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for smoking were adjusted for age and study. Exposure-response was evaluated in a stratified analysis by gender and by generalized additive models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The odds ratios for current smokers compared to nonsmokers were 3.9 (95% CI 3.5-4.3) for males and 3.6 (3.1-4.1) for females. In 11 out of 14 studies, ORs were slightly higher in men. ORs for current smoking were similar for men (OR = 3.4) and women (OR = 3.7) in North America, while in Europe men (OR = 5.3) had higher ORs than women (OR = 3.9). ORs increased with duration and intensity in both genders and the exposure-response patterns were remarkably similar between genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results do not support the hypothesis that women have a higher relative risk of smoking-related bladder cancer than men.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory and Environmental Health Research Unit, Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM), 80 Dr Aiguader Rd., Barcelona, 08003, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Puente
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hartge
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Greiser
authors.forename: Kenneth P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Cantor
authors.forename: Will D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Sylvaine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cordier
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vineis
authors.forename: Elsebeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lynge
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang-Claude
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Porru
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tzonou
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jöckel
authors.forename: Consol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hours
authors.forename: Charles F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ranft
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wahrendorf
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kogevinas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*