Letter to the editor: Cigarette smoking and chronic myelocytic leukemia

Smokers with chronic myeloid leukemia are at a higher risk of disease progression and premature death

“…[1][2][3][4] However, to the best of our knowledge, it is currently not clear whether smoking also is an unfavorable prognostic factor. The few analyses regarding this topic published to date were performed long ago in the era before tyrosine kinase inhibitors, [5][6][7] or within the context of stem cell transplantation, 8 and identified smoking as having a harmful impact. Since then, not only smoking habits but also the treatment of patients with CML have changed fundamentally.…”

Does Cigarette Smoking Lead to the Subsequent Development of Leukemia?

“…Brownson et al have done a good job of reviewing the consistency and coherence of the epidemiologic information. 31 Despite the biological plausibility of the association, important issues remain to be resolved. In fact, it has been estimated that the typical smoker inhales approximately 10 times as much benzene as the nonsmoker.20 Cigarette smoke also contains nitrosamines and urethane, substances that are leukemogenic in animals,21,22 as well as styrene and agricultural chemicals,23 possible human leukemogens.1,2 Among the many other constituents are ethylbenzene, oc¬ tane, and xylene isomers.…”