From Womb to Tomb: In Utero Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and Adult Cancers

It is hardly a surprise nowadays to read a new report on tobacco smoking being linked to yet another adult cancer, nor a sense of novelty to hear news on second-hand smoking also a contributor, but it is appalling to learn that in utero exposure to tobacco smoke could lead to deadly cancers decades later. This is exactly the finding published in this issue by He et  al.1 Moreover, genetic predisposition measured as cancer polygenic risk score (PRS) was simultaneously analyzed in their study to establish the comparative impact of environment and genes on cancer incidence, demonstrating that high PRS combined with in utero and childhood/adolescence tobacco smok e exposure imposed the highest incidence of overall cancer, respiratory cancer, or gastrointestinal cancer.
Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research