Cancer is the most common cause of death especially the lung cancer in most of the developed countries. Lung cancer has been frequently recognized as the malignancy that is caused by environment and the cigarette smoking. I have described the cigarette smoking risk factor that causing the lung cancer in Cytogenetics and Cancer Research blog these last few days. Therefore, I wish to write about another common risk factor which is environmental exposure so that we can take more appropriate prevention step of getting lung cancer.
 
Exposure to environmental carcinogens has been cited as the secondary risk factor of lung cancer independent of smoking. The exposure includes both outdoor and indoor air pollutants with contaminants of soil and drinking water. According to cancer research, the exposure of the carcinogens can occur because of both residential and occupational setting. There are many carcinogens exposing in our environment that will cause lung cancer. I just choose some major factors to be further reviewed.
 

Gas Radon Contributes to Lung Cancer

One of the carcinogens is gas radon. Gas radon and its radioactive progeny are the sources of exposure to inhaled radioactive substances. People who work at tin mines might be greatly exposed to radon. If the homes built on radon-containing soil, the residents might be exposed to the naturally occurring radioactive gas radon too. According to cancer research, residential radon is the primary cause of non-smoking related lung cancer.
 

Indoor Air Pollution Contributes to Lung Cancer

Sometimes, the indoor pollution which is caused by the cooking and heating will contribute to the developing of lung cancer too. For instance, during the time we are cooking the meat at high temperature, the potentially mutagenic cooking oil fumes and the carcinogenic metabolic products of heterocyclic amines will be released. Tai-an Chiang et al. showed that the fumes were not, or weakly mutagenic in the Salmonella assay when the distance between fume extractor and oil surface was 60 cm or less.
 

Outdoor Air Pollution Contributes to Lung Cancer

Outdoor air pollution is a contributor to the risk of lung cancer too. The fossil fuel combustion products are known carcinogens that will increase the risk of getting lung cancer. People who live in rural area have less lung cancer cases than the urban area residents regarding to the lower level of air pollution. Outdoor air pollution is composed of complex mixtures including the radionuclides, gas and particulate combustion products and fibers. Exposure to others respiratory carcinogens such as asbestos is related to the increased risk of lung cancer. How can we deal with the air pollution? Migrating to the rural area? The best way is to make our environment free of pollutant. We need to work together to help in increasing people’s awareness. Otherwise, we might pollute our rural area too at the end of the day.
 
In conclusion, by understanding the multiple components contributing to lung cancer which include the cigarette smoking and environmental exposure, we can identify the high-risk subgroups so that they can benefit from a proper screening or relevant interventions.
(Reference: David S. Albert, Lisa M. Hess. Fundamental of Cancer Prevention, Second edition)
 

Are you exposed to the environmental carcinogens? Take some actions to deal with it now.

Be Aware of Environmental Exposure – Lung Cancer Risk Factor is a post from: Cytogenetics and Cancer Research

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Cytogenetics and cancer research blog is ready to help smoker to quit from smoking. Smoking cessation is a tough mission to be gone through. However, there are many benefits of stopping smoking for long term health benefits, including reduced cumulative risk for cancer, especially for lung cancer. So, we need the smoking cessation intervention to quit smoking effectively to reduce the risk of smoking-related disease.
 
Initially, we need to recognize the complexity of tobacco use which included the nicotine addiction with the interplay of social, psychological and biological factors. These factors should be paid attention during smoking cessation. Health care providers play the important role to assist the smokers to quit from smoking by providing both quitting aids and advices on health-related issues.

 
During the time I was finding the information about how to quit smoking effectively and doing the cancer research, I found Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence which was provided by the US Public Health Service to assist health care providers when delivering the cessation treatment. This should be a good guideline for the smokers to quit from smoking too. The guideline is produced based on a systematic research and analysis of scientific literature to assist health care providers in delivering smoking cessation treatment.
 

5 A’s for Smoking Cessation Intervention

1. Ask about tobacco use

For a health care provider, you may ask and record the tobacco use status for the patient at every visit.

For the smoker, you must record the frequency of tobacco use daily.
 

2. Advise to quit

For a health care provider, you may encourage the patient to quit in a clear, strong and determined manner.

For the smoker, you have to motivate yourself to quit from smoking strongly. What can you do? You may keep on reminding yourself about the disadvantages of smoking. And also, you may visit Cytogenetics and Cancer Research blog regularly to get some motivation here.:)
 

3. Assess readiness to quit

For a health care provider, you may find out whether the patient is ready in the next 30 days.

For the smoker, just prepare yourself to quit from smoking including the psychological and physical preparation.
 

4. Assist with quitting

For a health care provider, you may provide the counselling or pharmacotherapy to assist the patient quit smoking effectively.

For the smoker, try to ask for the health care provider’s help to enhance the effectiveness of smoking cessation. The support of family members is always the main inspiration and energy source for the smoker to successfully quitting smoking.
 

5. Arrange follow up

For a health care provider, you must make an appointment with the patient to follow up the smoking cessation status. Preferably, the health care provider may set up a schedule to follow up with the patient start from the first week of quitting.

For the smoker, you may jot down the date you start quitting. You may motivate yourself by counting the number of the day you live without the tobacco. You will start to feel impress with your determination to quit from smoking then. And this is the time I wish to say congratulation to you! You are awesome!
 
In conclusion, smoking cessation intervention has successfully helped many of smokers who wish to quit from smoking. By looking on the evidence of adverse impact of smoking which harms nearly every organ in our body, it is the time to encourage yourself and your beloved to stop smoking.
(Reference: David S. Albert, Lisa M. Hess. Fundamental of Cancer Prevention, Second edition)
 

Do you have any success story of smoking cessation? Come and share with us.

Smoking Cessation Intervention to Quit Smoking Effectively is a post from: Cytogenetics and Cancer Research

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Tobacco use is a public health issue. I am so surprise that the post of “Cigarette Smoking – Primary Risk Factor of Lung Cancer” being listed in the top 200 of controversial article in Reddit.com yesterday. Although this was not good news (I think), I decided to write more about the benefits of smoking cessation today to firmly increase people’s awareness about that.

Smoking cessation provides extensive health benefits for everyone including the smokers and non-smokers. According to the reports of the US Surgeon General on the health consequences of smoking, there are many significant health benefits of quitting smoking. Although some cases show that the increased of lung cancer risk at the beginning of smoking cessation, there are still a lot of successful cases show the good side of smoking cessation.
 
Below are the 15 benefits of quitting smoking which I arrange it according to the timeline of smoking cessation.

1. After quitting within 2 weeks to 3 months, the pulmonary function and circulation will be improved.
 
2. Within 1-9 months after quitting, the ciliary and lung epithelium function will be restored.
 
3. Although the former smoker might experience coughing frequently initially, this is good for our body as the lungs remove excess mucus and tobacco smoke particulates.
 
4. After several months, the lung function of the former smoker will improve significantly.
 
5. After a year quitting from smoking, the former smoker will experience decreased coughing.
 
6. At the same time, the former smoker will regain his fatigue and the shortness of breath will be improved.
 
7. Consequently, the excess risk for coronary heart disease will be reduced to half than the continuing smokers.
 
8. After 5 – 15 years later, the risk of getting stroke will be reduced to the rate similar to the non-smokers.
 
9. The risk of getting the lung cancer will be reduced to half of the continuing smokers.
 
10. The risk of getting mouth larynx, pharynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney or pancreas cancer will be reduced.
 
11. After 15 years of smoking cessation, the risk for coronary heart disease will be reduced to the same rate as the people who never smoked.
 
12. Smoking cessation can significantly reduce the cumulative risk of death from lung cancer regardless the gender.
 
13. The former smokers that successfully give up the tobacco use can be expected to live much longer. If you are 35 years old and you quit from smoking, you are expected to live an additional 6 – 9 years than the smokers.
 
14. Some of the elderly smokers keep claiming that it is too late to quit from smoking as the damage is done on their body for a long time ago. However, according to the cancer research, there is an individual who quit from smoking start from 65 can live much longer (4 – 5 years) compared to those continued to smoke. Therefore, please do not ignore the potential of smoking cessation even for the elderly smokers.
 
15. If you are under medical treatment, quitting from smoking is better for you. According to cancer research, smoking will reduces the overall effectiveness of treatment, while causing the side effect of treatment and consequently decrease the survival rate.
 
In conclusion, there are too many benefits of smoking cessation. It is never too late to quit or advice others to quit from smoking to incur health benefits. I will try to find out more information about how to quit smoking effectively and post in my blog next time. Stay tuned!

(Reference: David S. Albert, Lisa M. Hess. Fundamental of Cancer Prevention, Second edition)
 

Are you hesitating to quit from smoking? Just do it!

15 Benefits of Smoking Cessation is a post from: Cytogenetics and Cancer Research

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Cigarette smoking is the primary risk factor for lung cancer. The cancer research shows that the risk of getting the lung cancer is higher among the cigarette smokers than the non-smokers. Compared to never smokers, smokers have a 20-fold risk of developing lung cancer. There are many bad effects of cigarette smoking which may result in chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. If you are a cigarette smoker, I advise you to give some efforts to stop from it now.
 

Tobacco Smoke is a Carcinogen of Lung Cancer

As we all know, the tobacco smoke is one of the carcinogen that causes the cancer, especially the lung cancer. The properties of tobacco smoke destruct lung tissue by inflammation and consequently causing the lung cancer. According to cancer research, cigarette smokers have lower levels of lung function than non-smoker, and quitting smoking greatly reduces cumulative risk for developing lung cancer. The risk of former smokers to develop lung cancer will increase during the first 3-5 years after smoking cessation. The risk of former smokers to develop lung cancer might increase during the first 3-5 years after smoking in some cases but still a lot advantages quiting smoking. Why they stop from smoking? Most of them is because of they are symptomatic and may already possess some critical diseases.
 

Passive Smoking Can Cause Lung Cancer

While active smoking has been shown to be the main cause of lung cancer, second-hand smoke contains the same carcinogens even worse that are inhaled by smokers. Unfortunately, the second-hand smoke affects the non-smokers too. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the environmental chemicals that toxic to our body. During passive smoking, the body is attacked by an excess of free radicals which inducing oxidative stress. Therefore, even a short period of passive smoking will break down serum antioxidant defence of the non-smoker and accelerates lipid peroxidation.
 

Oxidative DNA Damage Can Cause Lung Cancer

Besides, the components of tobacco smoke also induce oxidative DNA damage. This oxidative DNA damage is related to an increased risk of developing several degenerative chronic diseases which includes coronary heart disease and the dysfunctional cells (cancer).
 
In conclusion, cigarette use is a public health issue that will cause the development of lung cancer to everyone. Smoking cessation provides extensive health benefits for everyone in the world. Thus, quit from smoking now to protect yourself and the world.
(Reference: David S. Albert, Lisa M. Hess. Fundamental of Cancer Prevention, Second edition)
 

Smoking is the cause of lung cancer. Get rid of it now!

Cigarette Smoking – Primary Risk Factor for Lung Cancer is a post from: Cytogenetics and Cancer Research

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Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is an essential cellular defence mechanism. What is the relationship between the apoptosis and lung cancer?
 

Caspase-3 as Biomarker of Apoptosis Related to Lung Cancer

In cancer research, we can use the biomarkers to predict the induction of apoptosis. Consequently, this enables us to identify the biological signs that may indicate increased risk for the disease. During the time the cells undergoing apoptosis, the cytochrome c will be released from mitochondria to the cytoplasm and activate the caspase-3. Caspase-3 plays an important role in apoptotic pathway. It has been recognized as biomarkers of apoptosis. The cancer research shows that there is a significant correlation between the expression of caspase-3, survival and metastasis in 135 non-small cell lung carcinomas.

2 Principal Signalling Pathways in Apoptosis Related to Lung Cancer

i. Extrinsic Apoptosis Pathway

In the extrinsic apoptosis pathway, polymorphisms influencing the FASL-FAS interaction will affect the lung cancer predisposition. In cancer research, there are 2 promoter SNPs of FAS and FASL will cause the increased risks of lung cancer.
 

ii. Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway

In the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, caspase-9 is the only gene that has been detected for a role in lung cancer development. According to Park et al. cancer study, they found that two caspase-9 promoter SNPs were related to the significantly altered lung cancer risk.
 

Bcl-2 Proteins as Anti-apoptotic Proteins Causing Lung Cancer

As we all know, apoptosis is a highly programmed pathway that regulated by many of genes. One of the famous genes in apoptosis is Bcl-2 family genes. Bcl-2 is a proto-oncogene that is known to promote cell survival. The Bcl-2 proteins act as anti-apoptotic proteins that regulate the apoptosis. These proteins inhibit the apoptotic cascade.
 
By doing the cancer research on Bcl-2 mRNA expression in some tissues, the Bcl-2 mRNA expression in lung cancer tissues was significantly increased. This over-expression of Bcl-2 has been recognized to be early event in carcinogenesis that allows the cells with DNA damage to escape from normal mechanisms of apoptosis. In contrast, the lack of Bcl-2 expression may reduce the cause the relatively late in the pathogenesis in lung cancer.
 
In conclusion, lung cancer is highly associated with the apoptosis especially for the cancer research on finding the treatment. The cancer research needs to go further so that we can manipulate the apoptotic pathway for lung cancer treatment.
(Reference: David S. Albert, Lisa M. Hess. Fundamental of Cancer Prevention, Second edition)
 

Do you know any about the correlation between apoptosis and lung cancer? Come and share with us.

Apoptosis and Lung Cancer is a post from: Cytogenetics and Cancer Research

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During surfing some Cytogenetics and Cancer Research sites, I just know that November is the Lung Cancer Awareness Month! Therefore, I wish to write about the lung cancer this time.
 

Lung Cancer | Leading Cause of Cancer-Related Death

Lung Cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in men and in women. It has surpassed even prostate cancer or breast cancer. According to Jemal et al. 2008, an estimated 215,020 new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed in 2008. Most of us may think that this to be mainly a man’s disease, but there is 47% of new lung cancer cases were diagnosed among the women.
 

Lung Cancer | Malignancy determined by the Environment

Lung cancer has frequently been cited as a malignancy that is determined by the environment. In addition, the risk factor of lung cancer is mostly associated with cigarette smoking. Some others risk factors are related to the occupations like mining, asbestos exposure, shipbuilding and petroleum refining. However, some of the evidences show that mutations and loss of heterozygosity at genetic loci such as oncogenes and tumor suprressor genes are also involved in lung cancer forming. Most of these changes are thought to be accumulated at the somatic cell level.

Lung Cancer Cases Increases Because of Smoking Trend

The increase of the smoking prevalence is the main reason why the lung cancer increases dramatically. Even women also start to use cigarettes nowadays. The gender gap in smoking prevalence becomes significantly narrow over the middle and latter parts of the century as a consequence of several trends such as the the image advertising targeting of women.
 

Dietary Control to Prevent Lung Cancer

How can we prevent from the lung cancer? Dietary studies have found that the high consumption of carotene-containing fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of getting lung cancer. Only the dietary control is not enough to get rid of lung cancer. The dietary control becomes useless if we continuously consume the cigarette.
 
In conclusion, the best way to prevent the lung cancer is to keep away from consuming the cigarette or quit from smoking. There is no any benefit of using cigarette for our daily habits.

(Reference: David S. Albert, Lisa M. Hess. Fundamental of Cancer Prevention, Second edition)
 

Do you know why using cigarette is not recommended? Come and share with us!

Introduction of Lung Cancer is a post from: Cytogenetics and Cancer Research

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