TY - JOUR T1 - Projections of smoking-related cancer mortality in Australia to 2044 JF - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health JO - J Epidemiol Community Health SP - 792 LP - 799 DO - 10.1136/jech-2021-218252 VL - 76 IS - 9 AU - Qingwei Luo AU - Julia Steinberg AU - Xue Qin Yu AU - Marianne Weber AU - Michael Caruana AU - Sarsha Yap AU - Paul B Grogan AU - Emily Banks AU - Dianne L O’Connell AU - Karen Canfell Y1 - 2022/09/01 UR - http://jech.bmj.com/content/76/9/792.abstract N2 - Background While many high-income countries including Australia have successfully implemented a range of tobacco control policies, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of cancer death in Australia. We have projected Australian mortality rates for cancer types, which have been shown to have an established relationship with cigarette smoking and estimated numbers of cancer deaths attributable to smoking to 2044.Methods Cancer types were grouped according to the proportion of cases currently caused by smoking: 8%–30% and >30%. For each group, an age–period– cohort model or generalised linear model with cigarette smoking exposure as a covariate was selected based on the model fit statistics and validation using observed data. The smoking-attributable fraction (SAF) was calculated for each smoking-related cancer using Australian smoking prevalence data and published relative risks.Results Despite the decreasing mortality rates projected for the period 2015–2019 to 2040–2044 for both men and women, the overall number of smoking-related cancer deaths is estimated to increase by 28.7% for men and 35.8% for women: from 138 707 (77 839 men and 60 868 women) in 2015–2019 to 182 819 (100 153 men and 82 666 women) in 2040–2044. Over the period 2020–2044, there will be 254 583 cancer deaths (173 943 men and 80 640 women) directly attributable to smoking, with lung, larynx, oesophagus and oral (comprising lip, oral cavity and pharynx) cancers having the largest SAFs.Interpretation Cigarette smoking will cause over 250 000 cancer deaths in Australia from 2020 to 2044. Continued efforts in tobacco control remain a public health priority, even in countries where smoking prevalence has substantially declined.Data are available upon reasonable request. The tabulated data on cancer mortality are available from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare at https://www.aihw.gov.au/. Access restrictions apply to the National Drug Strategy Household Surveys data on smoking behaviour. Approved release of these data can be obtained through an application to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. ER -