Carcinogenicity of Indian bidi and cigarette smoke condensate in Swiss albino mice.

The carcinogenicity of Indian bidi and cigarette smoke condensate given by gavage was studied in Swiss mice. Bidi smoke condensate induced liver haemangiomas in four animals, forestomach papilloma in one animal and carcinomas in two animals, in one of them was in the oesophagus and in the other in the forestomach. At the same dose level cigarette smoke condensate failed to produce any tumour. Similarly, none of the untreated and solvent-treated control mice developed tumour. Chemical analysis of the smoke concensate of bidis and cigarettes showed that condensate from bidis had a higher benzo[a]pyrene level than was observed in cigarette smoke condensate, when compared on the basis of the mass (mg) burnt.