Avoiding smoky interiors

Avoiding smoky interiors can help reduce reproductive cancer risk.

A 40-year study recently revealed that non-smoking women who were frequently subjected to secondhand smoke had as much as a 40 percent greater risk of cervical neoplasia -- altered cells that could turn into cervical cancer. Smokers who lived with other smokers had the highest risk. Reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke by restricting tobacco use in your home and limiting time spent in smoky bars, restaurants, and other indoor venues that allow tobacco use.

Smoking is a proven risk factor for lung cancer, and new evidence suggests that it may increase cervical cancer risk as well. Approximately 600,000 women are diagnosed with cervical neoplasia each year; however, a relatively small percentage (13,000 cases) progress to cervical cancer. When cervical neoplasia is detected and treated in the earliest stages, it very rarely develops into cervical cancer. Some studies suggest that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and certain nutrients -- such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and folate -- may help reduce the risk of cervical neoplasia.

References Published on 03/08/2005.
Active and passive cigarette smoking and the risk of cervical neoplasia. Trimble, C. L., Genkinger, J. M., Burke, A. E., Hoffman, S. C., Helzlsouer, K. J., Diener-West, M., Comstock, G. W., Alberg, A. J., Obstetrics and Gynecology 2005 Jan;105(1):174-181.