Influence of tobacco on laryngeal carcinoma in Spain.

Spain is one of the countries with the highest incidence of laryngeal cancer in the world. Many risk factors have been linked to this neoplasm, such as tobacco, alcohol and occupation. In order to evaluate the effect of tobacco, a case-control study was performed. Cases included 85 patients with cancer of the larynx diagnosed in La Paz, Madrid, between 1983 and 1988, whereas a sample of 170 patients from the same hospital was used as control. Our study revealed that tobacco was significantly associated with laryngeal cancer. Filter-tipped cigarette was shown to be a risk factor as well as consumption of non-filtered cigarettes at first followed by consumption of filter-tipped cigarettes. An association was found between laryngeal cancer and smoking more than 15 cigarettes a day, as well as between cancer of the larynx and being in the habit of smoking for more than 15 years.