Cigar and pipe smoking are associated with an increased risk of head and neck cancers (HNC), according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology (June 30, 2013).
Using data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium (comprising 13,935 cases and 18,691 controls in 19 studies from 1981 to 2007), the study authors applied hierarchical logistic regression to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking and compared the data with reference groups of those who had never smoked each single product.
Among those who never smoked cigarettes, the odds ratio for those who ever smoked cigars was 2.54 (95% CI), and the odds ratio for those who ever smoked pipes was 2.08 (95% CI). These odds ratios increased with increasing frequency and duration of smoking, while the odds ratios for cigar and pipe smoking were not elevated among those who ever smoked cigarettes.
The risk of HNC was elevated for those who reported exclusive cigar smoking or exclusive pipe smoking, the researchers found. The results suggest that cigar and pipe smoking are independently associated with increased risk of head and neck cancers, they concluded.
