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# Tobacco Smoking Linked to Breast Cancer
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/tobacco_smoking_linked_to_breast_cancer_1207120600/
- Published: 2012-12-07T18:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:57:39.000Z
- Description: A review concludes the evidence points to active smoking as a potential cause of breast cancer, particularly among long-term heavy smokers who started young. Evidence on secondhand smoke is weaker, though premenopausal women exposed to it appear to be at elevated risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Lifestyle, Health News, #vivvo-import

By Jimmy Downs

Friday Dec 7, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Peggy Reynolds of Cancer Prevention Institute of California in Berkeley, CA, USA published a review in Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia suggesting that tobacco smoking may increase risk of breast cancer.

Tobacco smoking, active or passive, has been associated with lung cancer. Actually tobacco smoking has been found responsible for one third of all cancer deaths, according to the author.

The association between tobacco smoking and risk of breast cancer has been reported in more than 1000 publications and reviews. Because tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals many of which are known to cause breast cancer, it is not surprising that tobacco smoking is associated with elevated breast cancer risk.

The author says several heavy weight authoritative organizations including "the U.S. Surgeon General, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and a coalition of Canadian health agencies" have evaluated human health evidence on the link between tobacco smoking and breast cancer.

Overall, evidence has suggested that active tobacco smoking is a potential cause for breast cancer, particularly in those long-term heavy smokers who started smoking at an early age.

It is less evident how second hand smoking could affect the risk of breast cancer. Still, evidence suggests that premenopausal women who were exposed secondhand smoke were at elevated risk for breast cancer. This should not be a surprise because secondhand smoke contains largely the same toxic chemicals that can cause various cancers.

Breast cancer is expected to be diagnosed in 230,000 women in the United States in 2012 and the disease is expected to kill about 37,000 in the country in 2012, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Tobacco smoke compounds can cause oxidative stress which is linked to breast cancer. Vitamin E and vitamin C may be taken regularly for a long term to protect against breast cancer. These antioxidants are known to reduce oxidative stress and reduce cancer risk.