Early morning smokers at higher risk

HERSHEY, Pa., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- People who often smoke their first cigarette of the day shortly after waking may increase their risk of lung, head and neck cancers, U.S. researchers say.

Joshua Muscat of the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine in Hershey, and colleagues conducted a lung cancer analysis that included 4,775 lung cancer cases and 2,835 controls, all were regular cigarette smokers.

The study, published online ahead of print in the journal Cancer, finds that, compared with those who smoked more than 60 minutes after waking, people who smoked 31 to 60 minutes after waking were 1.31 times as likely to develop lung cancer, and those who smoked within 30 minutes were 1.79 times as likely to develop lung cancer.

The head and neck cancer analysis included 1,055 head and neck cancer cases and 795 controls, all with a history of cigarette smoking. The study finds that, compared with people who smoked more than 60 minutes after waking, those who smoked 31 to 60 minutes after waking were 1.42 times as likely to develop head and neck cancer, and those who smoked within 30 minutes were 1.59 times as likely to develop head and neck cancer.