Some have suggested that cigarette smoking and other tobacco product use may increase the risk of brain tumors because tobacco product use is considered to be the greatest source for human exposure to N-nitroso compounds, which are potent nervous system carcinogens in animal studies. Our investigation, however, did not find a positive association between cigarette smoking, or with use of other tobacco products, and risk of brain cancer. Zheng said some studies have shown persons who smoked non-filtered cigarettes were at higher risk for brain cancer, but his investigation did not find an association. The study, based on data from the state of Iowa, included 375 confirmed cases of glioma, and 2,434 population- based controls. The aging, curing, fermentation and processing of tobacco and nicotine can give rise to carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds in tobacco products.
Laboratory tests have shown ingestion of tobacco products causes brain tumors in mice.
Most of the earlier studies only compared smokers with those who never smoked, and lacked information on age smoking began, type of tobacco products used, duration or intensity of smoking. Very few studies have also reported the findings related to use of other tobacco products. If you wish to quote from any part of this story, please credit Yale University as the original source.