Secondhand smoke exposure and oral cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Inhalation of secondhand smoke (SHS) causes several diseases, including lung cancer. Tobacco smoking is a known cause of oral cancer; however, it has not been established whether SHS also causes oral cancer . The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential association between SHS exposure and the risk of oral cancer.

METHODS:

A systematic review and meta-analysis study (following the PRISMA guidelines) was developed to examine the studies reporting on the associations of SHS and the risk of oral cancer, employing a search strategy on electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Open Grey, and ProQuest databases for dissertations) until 10 May 2020. Meta-analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed using random-effect models. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020189970).

RESULTS:

Following the application of eligibility criteria, five studies were included, comprising a total of 1179 cases and 5798 controls, with 3452 individuals exposed and 3525 individuals not exposed to SHS. An overall OR of 1.51 (95% CI 1.2o to 1.91, p=0.0004) for oral cancer was observed, without significant heterogeneity (I2=0%, p=0.41). The duration of exposure of more than 10 or 15 years increased the risk of oral cancer (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.79, p<0.00001), compared with non-exposed individuals, without significant heterogeneity (I2=0%, p=0.76).

CONCLUSIONS:

This systematic review and meta-analysis supports a causal association between SHS exposure and oral cancer. Our results could provide guidance to public health professionals, researchers, and policymakers to further support effective SHS exposure prevention programs worldwide.

• Authors: Lorena C Mariano, Saman Warnakulasuriya, Kurt Straif, Luís Monteiro
• Journal: Tobacco control (Tob Control) Vol. 31 Issue 5 Pg. 597-607 (09 2022) ISSN: 1468-3318 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 33903278 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review)
• Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Chemical References

• Tobacco Smoke Pollution

Topics

• Humans
• Mouth Neoplasms (epidemiology, etiology)
• Tobacco Smoke Pollution (adverse effects, prevention & control)