Using Snus May Increase Risk Of Prostate Cancer

10/18/2016 12:15 PM ET

A new study suggests that the use of smokeless tobacco, or snus, may increase the risk of death in those with prostate cancer.

The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, found that those who used snus but did not smoke were three times more likely to die from prostate cancer than those who never used tobacco.

For the study, researchers analyzed health check-up data from thousands of men in Sweden between 1971 and 1992. The investigators found that, compared with men who never used tobacco, those who used snus but did not smoke had a 24 percent higher risk of death from prostate cancer during the study period. They also had a 19 percent higher risk of death from any cause.