A case-control study of bidi smoking and bronchogenic carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the risks imposed by tobacco smoking, in particular, bidi smoking, in the development of lung cancer.


METHODS
Two hundred eighty-four histologically confirmed patients of bronchogenic carcinoma and 852 controls matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status were interviewed according to a predesigned questionnaire. Effects of individual variables defining the various aspects of tobacco smoking, in particular, bidi smoking, were assessed using logistic regression models.


RESULTS
81.3% cases of bronchogenic carcinoma were ever smokers as compared with 42.2% among controls. The odd ratios for ever smoking, bidi smoking, and cigarette smoking were 5.9 (confidence interval [CI] 4.3, 8.4), 6.1 (CI 4.3, 8.7), and 5.3 (CI 2.7, 10.4), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Bidi smoking poses a very high risk for lung cancer even more than that of cigarette smoking.
Prasad
R
R
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Medical University (Erstwhile K.G. Medical University), Lucknow, India. rprasad2@rediffmail.com
Ahuja
R C
RC
Singhal
S
S
Srivastava
A N
AN
James
P
P
Kesarwani
V
V
Singh
D
D