title: Snus use, smoking and survival among prostate cancer patients.
abstract: Smoking is associated with prostate cancer mortality. The Scandinavian smokeless tobacco product snus is a source of nicotine but not the combustion products of smoke and has not been studied with respect to prostate cancer survival. The study is nested among 9,582 men with incident prostate cancer within a prospective cohort of 336,381 Swedish construction workers. Information on tobacco use was collected at study entry between 1971 and 1992, and categorized into (i) never users of any tobacco, (ii) exclusive snus: ever users of snus only, (iii) exclusive smokers: ever smokers (cigarette, cigar and/or pipe) only and (iv) ever users of both snus and smoking. Hazard ratios for prostate cancer-specific and total mortality for smoking and snus use based on Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, calendar period at diagnosis and body mass index at baseline. During 36 years of follow-up, 4,758 patients died-2,489 due to prostate cancer. Compared to never users of tobacco, exclusive smokers were at increased risk of prostate cancer mortality (HR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05-1.27) and total mortality (HR 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09-1.26). Exclusive snus users also had increased risks for prostate cancer mortality (HR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03-1.49) and total mortality (HR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.04-1.37). Among men diagnosed with nonmetastatic disease, the HR for prostate cancer death among exclusive snus users was 3.17 (95% CI: 1.66-6.06). The study is limited by a single assessment of tobacco use prior to diagnosis. Snus use was associated with increased risks of prostate cancer and total mortality among prostate cancer patients. This suggests that tobacco-related components such as nicotine or tobacco-specific carcinogens may promote cancer progression independent of tobacco's combustion products.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA.|Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Kathryn M
authors: KM
authors: Wilson
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Sarah C
authors: SC
authors: Markt
authors: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Fang
authors: Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Nordenvall
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA.|Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Jennifer R
authors: JR
authors: Rider
authors: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Weimin
authors: W
authors: Ye
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA.|Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Hans-Olov
authors: HO
authors: Adami
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Pär
authors: P
authors: Stattin
authors: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Olof
authors: O
authors: Nyrén
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA.|Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Lorelei A
authors: LA
authors: Mucci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D012042:Registries; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: cancer survival; prostate cancer; smoking; snus; tobacco use