Cancer incidence attributable to tobacco in Alberta, Canada, in 2012

Strong and consistent epidemiologic evidence shows that tobacco smoking causes cancers at various sites. The purpose of this study was to quantify the proportion and total number of site-specific cancers in Alberta attributable to tobacco exposure.

The proportion of incident cancer cases attributable to active and passive tobacco exposure in Alberta was estimated with population attributable risks. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) for 2000-2007 were used to estimate prevalence of active (current or former smoker) and passive (second-hand smoke) tobacco exposure in Alberta.

According to the 2000/01 CCHS, 29.1% and 38.6% of Albertans were estimated to be current and former smokers, respectively. According to the 2003 CCHS, 23.7% of Albertans who had never smoked reported regular second-hand exposure to tobacco. Population attributable risk estimates for tobacco-related cancer sites ranged from about 4% for ovarian cancer to 74% for laryngeal cancer. About 5% of incident lung cancers in men and women who never smoked could be attributed to passive tobacco exposure. Overall, 37.0% of tobacco-related cancers in Alberta (or 15.7% of all cancers) were estimated to be attributable to active tobacco smoking in 2012.

A notable proportion of cancers associated with tobacco use were estimated to be attributable to active smoking in Alberta. Strategies to reduce the prevalence of active tobacco smoking in Alberta could have a considerable impact on future cancer incidence.