Impact of smoking and smoking cessation on lung cancer mortality in the Asia-Pacific region

Huxley RJ, K.; Lam, T. H.; Barzi, F.; Ansary-Moghaddam, A.; Jiang, C. Q.; Suh, I.; Woodward, M. (2007) Impact of smoking and smoking cessation on lung cancer mortality in the Asia-Pacific region. Am J Epidemiol 165:1280-1286

Cigarette smoking is becoming increasingly common in Asia while quitting remains rare, in part because of a lack of knowledge about the risks of smoking. This study compared the risk of death from lung cancer associated with smoking habits in Australia and New Zealand and in Asia by using data from the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration: 31 studies involving 480,125 individuals. Cox regression models were used. The hazard ratios for lung cancer mortality associated with current smoking were, for men, 2.48 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.99, 3.11) in Asia versus 9.87 (95% CI: 6.04, 16.12) in Australia and New Zealand; p for homogeneity <0.0001. for="" women,="" the="" corresponding="" estimates="" were="" 2.35="" (95%="" ci:="" 1.29,="" 4.28)="" in="" asia="" versus="" 19.33="" (95%="" ci:="" 10.0,="" 37.3)="" in="" australia="" and="" new="" zealand;="" p="" for="" homogeneity=""><0.0001. quitting="" was="" beneficial="" in="" both="" regions;="" the="" hazard="" ratios="" for="" former="" compared="" with="" current="" smokers="" were="" 0.69="" (95%="" ci:="" 0.53,="" 0.92)="" in="" asia="" and="" 0.30="" (95%="" ci:="" 0.22,="" 0.41)="" in="" australia="" and="" new="" zealand.="" the="" lesser="" effect="" in="" asia="" was="" partly="" explained="" by="" the="" fewer="" number="" of="" cigarettes="" smoked="" and="" the="" shorter="" duration="" of="" follow-up="" in="" asian="" studies.="" these="" results="" suggest="" that="" tobacco="" control="" policies="" in="" asia="" should="" not="" solely="" concentrate="" on="" preventing="" the="" uptake="" of="" smoking="" but="" also="" attend="" to="">