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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research article

Attributable fraction of tobacco smoking on cancer using population-based nationwide cancer incidence and mortality data in Korea

Authors: Sohee Park, Sun Ha Jee, Hai-Rim Shin, Eun Hye Park, Aesun Shin, Kyu-Won Jung, Seung-Sik Hwang, Eun Shil Cha, Young Ho Yun, Sue Kyung Park, Mathieu Boniol, Paolo Boffetta

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2014

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Abstract

Background

Smoking is by far the most important cause of cancer that can be modified at the individual level. Cancer incidence and mortality rates in Korea are the highest among all Asian countries, and smoking prevalence in Korean men is one of the highest in developed countries. The purpose of the current study was to perform a systematic review and provide an evidence-based assessment of the burden of tobacco smoking-related cancers in the Korean population.

Methods

Sex- and cancer-specific population-attributable fractions (PAF) were estimated using the prevalence of ever-smoking and second-hand smoking in 1989 among Korean adults, respectively, and the relative risks were estimated from the meta-analysis of studies performed in the Korean population for ever-smoking and in the Asian population for passive smoking. National cancer incidence data from the Korea Central Cancer Registry and national cancer mortality data from Statistics Korea for the year 2009 were used to estimate the cancer cases and deaths attributable to tobacco smoking.

Results

Tobacco smoking was responsible for 20,239 (20.9%) cancer incident cases and 14,377 (32.9%) cancer deaths among adult men and 1,930 (2.1%) cancer incident cases and 1,351 (5.2%) cancer deaths among adult women in 2009 in Korea. In men, 71% of lung cancer deaths, 55%–72% of upper aerodigestive tract (oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus and larynx) cancer deaths, 23% of liver, 32% of stomach, 27% of pancreas, 7% of kidney and 45% of bladder cancer deaths were attributable to tobacco smoking. In women the proportion of ever-smoking-attributable lung cancer was 8.1%, while that attributable to second-hand smoking among non-smoking women was 20.5%.

Conclusions

Approximately one in three cancer deaths would be potentially preventable through appropriate control of tobacco smoking in Korean men at the population level and individual level. For Korean women, more lung cancer cases and deaths were attributable to second-hand than ever-smoking. Effective control programs against tobacco smoking should be further developed and implemented in Korea to reduce the smoking-related cancer burden.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Attributable fraction of tobacco smoking on cancer using population-based nationwide cancer incidence and mortality data in Korea
Authors
Sohee Park
Sun Ha Jee
Hai-Rim Shin
Eun Hye Park
Aesun Shin
Kyu-Won Jung
Seung-Sik Hwang
Eun Shil Cha
Young Ho Yun
Sue Kyung Park
Mathieu Boniol
Paolo Boffetta
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-14-406

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