ABSTRACT
To evaluate the risks imposed by tobacco smoking, in particular, bidi smoking, in the development of lung cancer. Two hundred eighty-four histologically confirmed patients of bronchogenic carcinoma and 852 controls matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status were interviewed according to a predesigned questionnaire. Effects of individual variables defining the various aspects of tobacco smoking, in particular, bidi smoking, were assessed using logistic regression models. 81.3% cases of bronchogenic carcinoma were ever smokers as compared with 42.2% among controls. The odd ratios for ever smoking, bidi smoking, and cigarette smoking were 5.9 [confidence interval [CI] 4.3, 8.4], 6.1 [CI 4.3, 8.7], and 5.3 [CI 2.7, 10.4], respectively. Bidi smoking poses a very high risk for lung cancer even more than that of cigarette smoking