Smoking and colorectal cancer risk: Data from the Melbourne colorectal cancer study and brief review of literature

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Abstract
Lifetime smoking data were obtained from 715 colorectal cancer cases and 727 age/sex matched community controls as one part of a large, comprehensive, population‐based study of colorectal cancer aetiology and survival in Melbourne, Australia, The Melbourne Colorectal Cancer Study. Statistically significant associations were found for those males smoking hand‐ rolled cigarettes and for cigar‐/pipe‐smoking males with colon cancer. Review of 18 previous case control studies of colorectal cancer showed an elevated risk for cigar‐smoking black males in one study, a statistically non‐significant increased risk for current smokers in one of 3 cohort studies and a statistically significant elevation of risk for smokers in 2 of 3 studies of adenomatous large‐bowel polyps. Although at present there is insufficient evidence to link smoking with large‐bowel cancer, the possibility that ingested tobacco is in some way carcinogenic for the colorectal mucosa may be worth further study.