PARIS - TWO studies released on Wednesday highlighted the risks and benefits of lifestyle choices in combating cancer, showing the dangers of smoking for post-menopausal women and exercise's protective effect on the bowel.
Post-menopausal women who smoke, or who used to smoke, face an up to 16-per cent higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who have never smoked, according to a paper published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Women who have been extensively exposed to passive smoking, either as children or in adulthood, could also be at greater risk of breast cancer, it added. However, this apparent risk does not apply to women who were only moderately exposed to second-hand smoke.
