This article discusses issues on the causality between smoking and lung cancer, which have been raised during the tobacco litigation in South Korea. It should be recognized that the explanatory ability of risk factor(s) for inter-individual variations in disease occurrence is different from the causal contribution of the risk factor(s) to disease occurrence. The affected subjects of the tobacco litigation in South Korea are lung cancer patients with a history of cigarette smoking. Thus, the attributable fraction of the exposed rather than the population attributable fraction should be used in the tobacco litigation regarding the causal contribution of smoking to lung cancer. Scientific evidence for the causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer is based on studies of individuals and groups, studies in animals and humans, studies that are observational or experimental, studies in laboratories and communities, and studies in both underdeveloped and developed countries. The scientific evidence collected is applicable to both groups and individuals. The probability of causation, which is calculated based on the attributable fraction for the association between smoking and lung cancer, could be utilized as evidence to prove causality in individuals.
Summary
Korean summary
이 글에서는 우리나라 담배소송 과정에서 제기된 흡연과 폐암의 인과성에 대하여 논하였다. 질병 발생의 개인 간 변이에 대한 위험 요인의 설명력과 질병발생에 미치는 위험요인의 인과적 기여도는 다르다는 점을 지적하였다. 개인에서의 흡연과 폐암의 인과성에 대한 정보로 인과확률이 활용될 수 있음을 강조하였다.
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