Blog 2: Non-Smoking wives of heavy smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer

Non-Smoking wives of heavy smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer

A study that was performed in Japan concluded that wives of heavy smokers are exposed to a higher risk of developing lung cancer. Also they had other health issues such as asthma and emphysema but it wasn’t statistically high compared to lung cancer. At the same time, they weren’t dramatically exposed to the risk of cervical cancer, stomach cancer and Ischaemic heart disease as it was shown in table III. In this study, 29 health center districts in Japan took into account 91,540 non-smoking wives aged 40 and above followed up for 14 years since 1966 to 1979. Also, standardized mortality rates for lung cancer were measured to their husband’s smoking habits.

Based on these results, they divided the study based on husband’s smoking’s habits: if he was a non-smoker, ex smoker (1 to 19 days) or a heavy smoker. They also considered husband’s occupation and age as two different factors for the risk of lung cancer. These relations were analyzed. It was pointed out that between the husband’s smoking habit and the wife’s risk of developing lung cancer was particularly significant in agricultural families when the husband aged between 40 to 59 years. The constant variable from all these results is that the patient (the wife) had to be a non-smoker. Another factor that they considered was husband’s alcohol drinking habits if it was a strong factor for their wives’ to get lung cancer. It clearly showed that it had no affect on wives’ mortality from lung cancer. Once the analyses were done, they studied the effects of passive smoking and direct smoking. Passive smoking (or second hand smokers) was shown a one half to one third of direct smoking. Based on this relative risk ratio, ratio of incidence rate for persons exposed to the factor to the incidence rate for persons I the unexposed group, excess deaths from lung cancer due to passive smoking is smaller than direct smoking due to the large amount that is exposed.

The cohort study that was performed in Japan it is probably the most accurate. It calculated the relative risk of the passive and direct smoking effects. The cohort study was based on a large number of people questioned about there exposures. This study was up to date and consistent during those fourteen years. It was an important study because it showed the public that they were all at a health risk to get diagnosed with lung cancer. It could have helped if there was an epidemic during that time and to see what could have been the cause of these nonsmokers to get diagnosed with lung cancer especially in Japan.

There’s an advantage to use the cohort study because a large number of people are being studied for a long period of time to see whether those who are exposed are more likely to develop lung cancer that those who were not.

The Cause and Effect in this cohort study defined and discussed the study of a large number of people that is more likely to yield valid results than a small study, had a stronger measure between exposure and disease, the exposure was a cause of disease and epidemiologic evidence is more convincing than biological explanation. I personally believe that this study did support that second hand smokers do get affected and have a higher risk from lung cancer as a risk factor, not a cause and effect situation. However, even though the relative risk of passive smoking is smaller than direct smoking due to the fact that 73% men smoked and 15% of women as well, there was still a larger group exposed than unexposed to passive smoking since the there was a larger group of women that don’t smoke. However this doesn’t not support that passive smoking IS a CAUSE for the EFFECT: Lung Cancer, it is a variable or risk factor. As well as direct smoking causes lung cancer. This article is more explaining the risk factor or a precaution giving us tables and graphs that should be considered for those nonsmokers or victims of passive or direct smoking.