Objective To quantitatively estimate smoking attributable deaths, potential life lost, and labor loss of malignant tumor in Shanghai residents at 35 years old and above using population attributable health effect evaluation method, and to provide scientific evidence for making public health policy.

Methods Smoking rates from 2013 Shanghai Non-communicable Disease and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and relative risks of smoke exposure from Global Burden of Disease Study were used to calculate deaths of malignant tumor, years of potential life lost (YPLL), and labor loss attributable to smoke exposure.

Results The mortality rate of major malignant tumors was 312.55/105 among the population aged 35 years and above in 2013 (409.39/105 for male and 218.89/105 for female). There were 9994 deaths of malignant tumor attributable to smoking (9548 for male and 446 for female) and the attributable risk percent was 33.82%. The YPLL was 155455 person years, the life lost per person was 15.55 years, and the loss of labor was 28897 person years. Lung cancer had the highest population attributable risk percent associated with cigarette smoking (64.46%), followed by nasopharynx cancer (55.03%) and esophageal cancer (51.05%). The number of lung cancer deaths attributable to smoke exposure was 5 998, the YPLL was 85979 person years, and the loss of labor was 13428 person years. The index of life lost due to smoking attributable cancer was higher for female than that for male, being 16.07 years and 15.53 years respectively. The index of life lost of liver cancer and nasopharynx cancer attributable to smoke exposure were higher than other types of malignant tumor, being 20.74 years and 20.38 years respectively, whereas the smallest index was bladder cancer of 10.64 years.

Conclusion A large number of smoking attributable malignant tumor fatalities are identified in Shanghai, resulting in great years of potential life lost and years of labor loss. Lung cancer is the leading one related to smoking exposure.