Researchers analysed data on about 430 000 people in Europe and found that those who smoked before age 15 were three times more likely to develop bladder cancer later in life, while those who started smoking between the ages of 15 and 19 had a 1.5-fold greater risk, BBC News reported.
People exposed to second-hand smoke during childhood had about a 40 percent increased risk of bladder cancer. The study appears in the International Journal of Cancer.
"The indication in our study that early exposure to tobacco smoke might increase the risk of bladder cancer calls for further research and adds to the body of evidence suggesting that children are more sensitive to carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) than adults," the study authors wrote.
Professor John Toy, Cancer UK's medical director, said the findings show the value of bans on smoking in public places, BBC News reported. – (HealthDayNews)
Read more:Stop smoking Centre
A-Z of Bladder cancer
November 2006