Starting the Day with an Early Morning Smoke Raises Risk of Cancer

For those who light up first thing in the morning, the risk of lung and head and neck cancers are significantly increased. Two new studies from Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania found that smokers who got their first nicotine fix within a half hour of waking had a 59 percent greater risk of developing head and neck cancer, as well as a 79 percent greater likelihood of developing lung cancer than those who waited at least an hour before smoking.

According to analysis by researcher Joshua E. Muscat and his colleagues, smokers who had their first cigarette within 31 to 60 minutes after waking had elevated cancer risks that declined from 42 percent to 31 percent as smokers waited longer before first lighting up. The authors of the study wrote, “Smokers who smoke soon after waking may require special efforts to make them aware of their increased risk and the need for smoking cessation therapies.” The research was recently published online in the journal Cancer.

Although smoking at any time of the day increases the risk for cancer, getting an early start daily adds considerably to odds of developing a tumor, as the action indicates much stronger nicotine dependence. The researchers noted that the “time to first cigarette” effect remained even after adjusting for other factors such as the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

The first study involved 1,850 people among whom 1,055 had head and neck cancers and 795 who did not. All participants had a history of smoking cigarettes and had also been seen at academic center hospitals in the New York area. Among those who smoked within the first 30 minutes of waking, the risk of developing a tumor was found to be raised by 59 percent.

More study results on page 2