Prostate Ca recurrence, death risk greater for smokers

Men with prostate cancer who smoke have an associated increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and prostate cancer-specific death, say the authors of a study from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.

Smokers in the study also had an increased likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence, the researchers reported in JAMA (2011; 305:2548-55).

"In our study, we found similar results for both prostate cancer recurrence and prostate cancer mortality," said lead author Stacey Kenfield, ScD. "These data taken together provide further support that smoking may increase risk of prostate cancer progression."

Dr. Kenfield and colleagues conducted a prospective observational study of 5,366 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1986 and 2006 in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The researchers documented 1,630 deaths, 524 (32%) due to prostate cancer, 416 (26%) due to cardiovascular disease, and 878 prostate cancer recurrences.

Men with prostate cancer who were current smokers were found to have a 61% increased risk of dying from prostate cancer and a 61% higher risk of recurrence compared with men who never smoked.

Compared with current smokers, men who had quit smoking for 10 or more years had prostate cancer mortality risks similar to those who had never smoked.