LAUSR

Currently, the 5‐year survival rate for rectal cancer remains at <60%. The identification of potentially modifiable prognostic factors would be of considerable public health importance. A few studies have suggested associations between smoking and survival in rectal cancer; however, the evidence is inconsistent, and most of these studies were relatively small. In a large population‐based cohort study, we investigated whether smoking at diagnosis is an independent prognostic factor for cancer‐specific survival in rectal cancer and whether the association varies by sex, age, or treatment.