A recent HealthDay News headlined “Nicotine Can Fuel Breast Cancer, Study Suggests” may needlessly scare readers into wrongfully assuming breast cancer may be caused by smoking. The study, which analyzed 276 breast tumor samples in vitro for a specific nicotine receptor subunit (a9-nAChR), found an over-production of the subunit in advanced-stage breast cancer compared to early-stage cancer.
“This is just another case of a scary headline based on bizarre extrapolations from cellular studies to human cancer epidemiology,” explains ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross.
ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan further clarifies that “smoking is not a cause of breast cancer, but it can exacerbate existing causes.”
ACSH's Jeff Stier is more concerned that this article fits in with the broader campaign against nicotine per se. “The real culprit of tobacco-related death is the combustion caused by burning and inhaling tobacco products. Preliminary studies such as this one should not be given considerable weight when evaluating harm reduction approaches.”
Dr. Whelan agrees, adding: “Nicotine is definitely addictive, but this article creates a baseless fear of nicotine that will deter smokers from accepting ‘clean’ nicotine delivery products, such as snus or electronic cigarettes, as they attempt to kick their smoking habits.”