Teen Smoking
and Breast Cancer
A recent Canadian study
suggests that adolescent girls who smoke have a much higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life, than those who
don't.
According to a report in
the medical journal Lancet, the immature breast tissue of teenage girls is especially susceptible to damage from the toxins
present in cigarette smoke. The article was written by British Columbia doctor Pierre Band.
Band says studies have shown
that the increased sensitivity of female breasts between first menstruation and first full-term pregnancy leaves women susceptible
to environmental carcinogens.
Researchers sent surveys
to 2,933 British Columbia women under the age of 75. Half the women were diagnosed with breast cancer and the rest were a
control group.
They looked at smoking patterns
and cancer rates and found a huge difference between those who had smoked in adolescence and those who had not.