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Updated: May 16, 2026
06:07
Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Mice using a Whole-Body Inhalation System
Published on: October 22, 2020
Smoking and breast cancer
1Cancer Prevention Institute of California, 2001 Center Street-Suite 700, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA. Peggy.Reynolds@cpic.org
Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia
|November 27, 2012
Summary
Active smoking, especially long-term and early-initiation, shows a potential causal link to breast cancer risk. The evidence for secondhand smoke
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Tobacco smoke contains numerous mammary carcinogens.
- Breast cancer was not initially considered a tobacco-related disease.
- Accumulating evidence links active and secondhand smoking to breast cancer etiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the evidence linking smoking to breast cancer risk.
- To assess the role of active and secondhand smoking.
- To explore genetic modification in tobacco metabolism and breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Systematic evaluation of human health evidence by researchers and expert panels.
- Review of publications, scientific reviews, and agency assessments.
- Analysis of recent studies on gene polymorphisms (e.g., NAT2) in tobacco metabolism.
Main Results:
- Weight of evidence suggests a potential causal role for active smoking, particularly long-term/early-initiation.
- Evidence for secondhand smoke and breast cancer is less clear, with some suggestion of increased premenopausal risk.
- Evidence on genetic polymorphisms modifying risk remains equivocal.
Conclusions:
- Active smoking is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for breast cancer.
- Further research is needed to clarify the role of secondhand smoke.
- Genetic factors may play a role, but require more investigation.
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