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Summary Smoking raises odds for cancer in women with family histories of cancer.
Long-term smoking significantly increases the risk of invasive breast, lung and colon cancers in women who already have a family history of breast cancer.Researchers analyzed how smoking, drinking and physical activity affected the risk of several common cancers. The study found that as compared to those who never smoked, women who smoked for at least 35 years had a 60 percent higher risk of invasive breast cancer and more than four times the risk of colon cancer. Women who are at risk of breast cancer because of family history or other factors, smoking cigarettes is even more risky than for other women. Women who smoked for 15 to 35 years were 34 percent more likely to develop invasive breast cancer and 7 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than those who never smoked. The study leaves an important message for women with family histories of breast cancer about the long-term risks of smoking, as well as the importance of staying physically active.
