The smoking habits of 82 men with cancer of the lung and 73 men with cancer of the larynx and pharynx were compared with the smoking habits of a control group of 522 patients with miscellaneous tumors. A relatively high percentage of cigarette smokers was found among the patients with cancer of the respiratory tract, as compared to the control. This positive correlation between the incidence of cigarette smoking and the incidence of cancer of the respiratory tract appeared to be both statistically and biologically significant. There is strong circumstantial evidence that cigarette smoking was an etiologic factor in cancer of the respiratory tract.

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Sponsored by the VA and published with the approval of the Chief Medical Director. The statements and conclusions published by the authors are a result of their own study and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Veterans Administration.

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