Cytogenetics and Cancer Research

I think I never mention about the relationship between cytogenetics and cancer research in this blog. Cytogenetic studies are proven that can assist to define the diagnosis and deliver clear prognostic differences in cancer. There are many cytogenetic studies of malignancy have been gone through and most of them are related to hematologic disorders. However, those studies constitute only small percentage of all cancer malignancies.
 

Clinical Value of Cytogenetic Studies in Malignancy Cancer

Recently, there has been a significant progress in knowledge of the recurrent abnormalities in many of solid tumors as well as hematologic malignancies. Consequently, the clinical value of cytogenetic studies in cancer malignancy has been appreciated after the cytogenetic studies of some solid tumors moving out of cancer research environment.
 
Apart from this, there would be little clinical value in doing cytogenetic studies in cancer malignancy if all the patients with a particular cancer died. The researchers only manage to probe the origins of cancer for those patients. However, after researching in all tumors type by using cytogenetic technique, the presence or absence of many of the genetic abnormalities found has been related to different responses to treatment. Since that, the genetic and cytogenetic studies start to be recognized as important and one of the best choices of treatment for a cancer patient.
 

Cytogenetic Studies Helps Diagnostic Investigation in Malignancy Cancer

Consequently, cytogenetic analysis of cancer malignancy is considered to provide rapid, accurate and specific results to aid the clinical professionals. This can help to choose the most appropriate type of treatment to the cancer patient in shorter time. However, John Swansbury stated that the diagnosis of a malignancy can be traumatic, and an accurate and early indication of every patient’s prognosis is valuable.
 
In conclusion, a cytogenetic study remains an essential part of diagnostic investigations of every patient with hematologic malignancy and certain solid tumors without denying the valuable contributions made by other genetic assays.

Reference: Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 220: Cancer Cytogenetics: Methods and Protocols. Edited by: John Swansbury © Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
 

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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!