Smoking as a risk factor for the development of breast cancer

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is considered a public health problem and in many cases is responsible for the development of lung diseases and cancer. One of the mechanisms by which tobacco can induce cancer is through the generation of free radicals, establishing an oxidative stress status in smokers. With increasing smoking among women, much evidence in the literature has shown a relation between smoking and breast cancer development. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to analyze the available studies in literature that demonstrate the association between smoking and the risk of breast cancer development. METHODS: We performed a review from the literature based on the search results in PubMed and Scielo. The selected works were composed by current articles according to their relevance and human application. RESULTS: The literature revealed several published studies linking smoking to oxidative stress through the action of free radicals that are generated by toxic compounds found in cigarettes. There are few studies relating smoking with breast cancer, which is a relatively more recent research line, where the vast majority of works includes epidemiological and controversial studies. CONCLUSIONS: The selected works show that, although controversial, smoking is considered a risk factor for developing breast cancer.