Can smoking cause skin cancer?

May 30

Written By Celebrating Skin

✅ **Yes — Smoking does cause cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)**

Conclusion from Leonardi-Bee et al., 2012 (BJD):
“There is consistent and strong evidence that smoking increases the risk of cutaneous SCC.”
The meta-analysis found a significantly higher risk of SCC in smokers compared to non-smokers, with dose-response data supporting causality.

⚠️ **Smoking is not consistently associated with basal cell carcinoma (BCC)**

Some studies suggest a slight increase or no effect, while others paradoxically suggest a decreased risk, likely due to detection bias or confounding variables (e.g., lifestyle, sun exposure patterns).

❌ **Smoking is not causally linked to melanoma**

While there have been some inverse associations, they are likely non-causal (e.g., lower health-seeking behavior, decreased immune surveillance).
No evidence supports a causal or protective effect.

Sources:

Leonardi-Bee J, et al. "Smoking and the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis." British Journal of Dermatology. 2012;167(1):134–142.

This meta-analysis found a significant association between smoking and an increased risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

De Hertog SA, et al. "Relation between smoking and skin cancer." JAMA Dermatology. 2001;137(10):1229–1233.

This study examined the relationship between smoking and skin cancer, providing insights into the varying associations with different types of skin cancer.

Song F, et al. "Smoking and risk of skin cancer: a prospective analysis and a meta-analysis." Archives of Dermatology. 2012;148(9):1039–1045.

This research analyzed the risk of skin cancer among smokers, particularly focusing on melanoma, and found no strong or consistent link.