title: Lung cancer mortality risk for U.S. menthol cigarette smokers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently assessing the public health impact of menthol cigarettes. Results from a recent U.S. cohort study, composed largely of Blacks and limited to 12 Southern states, found that menthol cigarette smokers had lower risks of lung cancer incidence and mortality than nonmenthol smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a survival analysis of current smokers from the 1987 National Health Interview Survey Cancer Control Supplement (n = 4,832), followed for mortality through linkage with the National Death Index. We estimated mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for menthol smokers compared with nonmenthol smokers, adjusting for a full set of demographic and smoking characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall HR for lung cancer mortality for menthol smokers was 0.69 (95% CI = 0.45-1.06). The HR for lung cancer mortality for menthol smokers at ages 50 and over was 0.59 (95% CI = 0.37-0.95). All-cause mortality net of lung cancer mortality did not differ for menthol and nonmenthol smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found evidence of lower lung cancer mortality risk among menthol smokers compared with nonmenthol smokers at ages 50 and over in the U.S. population. It is not known, however, if these differences are due to the impact of menthol on cigarette smoking or long-term differences in cigarette design between menthol and nonmenthol cigarettes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration, 9200 Corporate Boulevard, Room 300G, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. brian.rostron@fda.hhs.gov
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rostron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D008610:Menthol