Passive Smoking and Cervical Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis Based on 3,230 Cases and 2,982 Controls

Objective: Passive smoking has been considered as a risk factor of many cancers. To examine whether itmight also pose a risk for cervical cancer, we performed a meta-analysis based on published case-control studies.
Methods: We searched the PubMed database and references of included studies up to February 10th, 2012for relevant studies. After two authors independently assessed the methodological quality and extracted data,a meta-analysis was conducted using CMA v2 software. Publication bias was evaluated by funnel plot, usingEgger’s and Begg’s tests.
Results: Finally 11 eligible studies yielded, involving 3,230 cases and 2,982 controls.The results showed that women who never smoke but exposed to smoking experience a 73% increase in riskof cervical cancer compared with non-exposed women (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.35 – 2.21, p<0.001). Subgroupand sensitivity analyses indicated this result to be robust. Moderate publication bias was detected by visualingfunnel plot, Egger’s and Begg’s tests.
Conclusion: Based on currently available evidence, the findings of thismeta-analysis suggests that passive smoking significantly and independently increases the risk of cervical cancer.