Bladder cancer risk and pipes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco

Interview data from 2982 patients with bladder cancer and 5782 controls selected from the general population were used to assess the effects of non-cigarette tobacco use on bladder cancer risk. Compared to men who had never smoked, those who had smoked pipes but not cigars or cigarettes had a relative risk estimated at 1.23 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75-2.00). Those who smoked cigars but not pipes or cigarettes were estimated to have a relative risk of 1.33 (95% CI = 0.92-1.94). Little evidence of dose response was observed. The excess relative risk to pipe smokers was limited to those who inhaled deeply.