Tobacco smoke mixtures and lung cancer

Tobacco smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, accounting for almost 90% of all lung cancers. Lung cancer risks for smokers, however, increase dramatically when smokers are exposed to other lung carcinogens. 

The cancer risk for uranium miners who smoke is much higher than that for uranium miners who do not smoke. This epidemiological finding is supported by laboratory experiments that show an increased incidence of pulmonary tumors in hamsters simultaneously exposed to benzo [a] pyrene and alpha radiation relative to exposure to the PAH or the radiation alone. 49  

Tobacco smoking alone 37,38 anc[ exposure to asbestos alone 50,51 are risk factors for developing lung cancer. The combination of smoking and working with asbestos carries a multiplicative risk for developing lung cancer with it. The data in Table 15.1 clearly illustrate this point. 52  

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