Cigarette Smoking and Neoplasia of the Uterine Cervix: Smoke Constituents in Cervical Mucus

Authors:
  • ISI M Sasson
    I M Sasson
  • NHN J Haley
    N J Haley
  • DHD Hoffmann
    D Hoffmann
  • EWE L Wynder
    E L Wynder
  • DHD Hellberg
    D Hellberg
  • SNS Nilsson
    S Nilsson
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Abstract
To the Editor: Epidemiologic studies have suggested that cigarette smoking may be associated with an increased risk of cervical neoplasia, independent of sexual habits.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The mechanism by which tobacco smoke could induce a genotoxic effect in the cervical epithelium is not known. Our hypothesis is that the cervical epithelial cells in cigarette smokers would necessarily be exposed to primary and secondary smoke constituents. We therefore examined the cervical mucus of smokers and nonsmokers for the presence of nicotine and its major metabolite, cotinine, and compared the data with those obtained from analyses of serum and urine.Ten smokers and eight . . .