Jump to full article: Globe and Mail (ca), 2002-10-03
Author: OLIVER MOORE / Globe and Mail Update
Intro: On top of its many already well-publicized dangers, adolescent smoking has now been linked by Canadian researchers to a massively increased risk of breast cancer.
Writing in this week's issue of the medical journal Lancet, British Columbia doctor Pierre Band suggests that the immature breast tissue of teenage girls is especially susceptible to damage from the toxins present in cigarette smoke.
The news comes during the internationally recognized Breast Cancer Awareness month and was released only one day after publication of a massive study which suggested that breast self-examination does not reduce cancer mortality rates.
Writing in Lancet, Dr. Band notes that previous studies had shown that the increased sensitivity of female breasts between menarche (first menstruation) and first full-term pregnancy leaves women susceptible to environmental carcinogens.
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