By Will Boggs, MD  

Besides causing 160,000 deaths annually from lung, mouth, bladder and other cancers, smoking also increases the risk of death from cancer of the colon or rectum, according to results of a large new study from the American Cancer Society.

根据美国癌症协会一项大规模的新的研究结果表明，每年因抽烟而死于肺癌、口腔癌、膀胱癌以及其它癌症的人有16万人；除此之外，抽烟还会增加死于结肠癌、直肠癌的可能性。

As many as 12% of all colorectal cancer deaths in the US may be attributed to tobacco smoking.

美国死于结肠直肠癌的人中有12%是由于抽烟而引起的。

“Colorectal cancer is not currently considered a smoking-related cancer, but data from the American Cancer Society study and other large studies suggest that colorectal cancer should be considered for classification as a smoking-related cancer,'' Dr. Ann Chao from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia told Reuters Health.

佐治亚州亚特兰大美国癌症协会的Ann Chao博士对路透社健康栏目记者说：“目前普遍认为结肠直肠癌和抽烟无关。但是根据美国癌症协会的研究和其它大规模的研究资料表明，应该考虑把结肠直肠癌归为和抽烟有关的癌症类中。”

Chao and associates analyzed information from a cancer prevention study that included more than 310,000 men and 469,000 women.

Chao和同事们对一项癌症预防研究的数据进行了分析。该项研究包括31万多名男性和46万9千名女性。

Among men, current smokers had a 34% higher risk of death from colon cancer than nonsmokers did. Women who were current smokers faced a 43% higher risk, according to the report in the December 6th issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Although the risk of rectal cancer death was also elevated in smokers, the risk was slightly lower than that for colon cancer.

根据《全国癌症协会》杂志12月6日的一期报道，与不抽烟者相比，男性抽烟者死于结肠癌的可能性要高34%，而女性要高43%。尽管与不抽烟者相比，抽烟者患直肠癌死亡的可能性要高，但却稍低于因抽烟而死于结肠癌的可能性。

The more years one smoked, the greater the death rate from colorectal cancer, the authors note. The risk of colon cancer death also rose with increasing number of cigarettes smoked daily, younger age when smoking started, and total number of packs smoked over the years.

在报道中作者指出，抽烟的年限越长，患结肠直肠癌的死亡率就越高。另外，每天所抽的香烟数越多，开始抽烟时年龄越小，所抽的香烟包数越多，死于直肠癌的可能性就越大。

Former smokers who had smoked for 20 years also faced a higher colon and rectal cancer death rate, the report indicates, but the risk of cancer death eventually returned to the normal level after being smoke-free for 10 years for women or 20 years for men.

报道指出，曾有20年烟史的人患结肠癌、直肠癌的死亡率要高。但如果女性已戒烟10年，男性为20年，则患癌症死亡的可能性和普通人无异。

Cigar and pipe smokers also faced a 34% higher risk of death from colorectal cancer, the team found.

研究人员发现，抽雪茄、烟斗的人死于结肠直肠癌的可能性要高34%。

“Cigarette smoking, particularly long-term continuing smoking, is associated with increased colorectal cancer mortality in men and in women,'' Chao said.

Chao说：“越来越多的人因患结肠直肠癌而死亡，这与抽烟有关，特别与长期不间断的抽烟有关。”

    Chao offered these recommendations. ``I certainly would advise smokers that this is yet another reason to quit smoking, and the earlier the better,'' she said. ``I also would advise people who don't smoke to not take up the habit.''

    Chao提出劝告，说：“我要告诉那些抽烟者这又是一条戒烟的依据，并且越早戒烟越好。我还要建议那些不抽烟的人不要染上抽烟的习惯。”