Causes of Cervical Cancer Risk Factors and Smoking Facts
Is smoking among the causes of cervical cancer?
For female smokers the smoking facts reveal that one of the harmful smoking effects on the body may include
carcinoma of the cervix.
Every year about 1,450 Canadian women will receive a diagnosis of cervical cancer and 430 of them will die.
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer for women and over 400,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
If carcinoma of the cervix is one of the harmful smoking effects on the body then female smokers
could decrease their risk of developing cervical cancer if they stop smoking cigarettes.
Human Papilloma Virus
The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is the HPV (human papilloma virus).
There are specific types of HPV that are known to cause cervical cancer. Studies show
that more than 90% of women with cervical cancer are infected with HPV.
It is difficult to say if smoking cigarettes or any of the other known risk factors are
actually causes of cervical cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases your chances of
getting a disease.
Having one risk factor increases your chances of developing carcinoma of the cervix but
having two or more amplifies your risk.
Risk factors are determined by looking at the population of women with carcinoma of the cervix
and then identifying all the factors that they have in common.
If the population of women diagnosed with cervical cancer all have the same factors in common in a
high percentage of cases then that factor can be identified as a risk factor meaning
that it increases your chances of developing the disease.
Risk factors then are possible not definitive causes of cervical cancer.
However, when the percentages get high enough as with the 90% figure
of HPV then it is safe to state that HPV is one of the main causes of cervical cancer.
A weak immune system will not be able to
properly defend against the invasion of the human papilloma virus and the changes in the cervical
cells could lead to cancer.
Female smokers are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer as non-smokers.
The risk increases with the amount smoked and the length of your smoking history.
In other words the higher your
pack years number the greater your risk.
As early as 1986 smoking was noted to be among the cervical cancer risk factors and a two fold increase in
cervical cancer (squamous cell type) was noted in female smokers. The risk increased with the amount and duration of smoking even when
the other risk factors such as sexual activity patterns were taken into consideration.
"A case-control study of 480 patients with invasive cervical cancer and
797 population controls, conducted in five geographic areas in the United States,
included an evaluation of the relationship of several cigarette smoking variables to cervical cancer risk. Although smoking was correlated with both age at first intercourse and number of sexual partners, a significant smoking-related risk persisted for squamous cell carcinoma after adjustment for these factors (relative risk, 1.5). The risk of squamous cell cancers increased significantly with intensity and duration of smoking."
Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between smoking and cancer of the cervix.
Most sources now list smoking among the possible
causes of cervical cancer.
Additional factors include an early onset of sexual activity, having multiple partners,
and using birth control pills for longer than five years.
Is Smoking Among the Causes of Cervical Cancer 3 More Smoking Facts
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) lists smoking and "any condition that
weakens your immune system" among cervical cancer risk factors. (See Harmful Smoking Effects on Immune System Functions)
The 2004 Surgeon General's report states:
"The evidence is sufficient to infer a causal relationship
between smoking and cervical cancer."
The Pan American Health Organization states in "A Situational Analysis of Cervical Cancer in the Latin America and the Caribbean" p 11:
"Well-controlled
epidemiological studies have demonstrated that
HPV-positive cervical cancer cases are twice as likely
to have been smokers when compared with
HPV-positive controls"
The cervix is not immune from the harmful smoking effects on the body and the
smoking facts reveal that nicotine and
other carcinogenic ingredients in cigarettes have been found in the cervical mucus secretions of female smokers.
The purpose of the information provided here is to help you cooperate with your doctor and other
health practitioners. It is not intended to take the place of medical advice and you are encouraged to
discuss health concerns with your physician or a professional health care provider who is
familiar with you and your unique personal health context.
