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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Urine Test Predicts Smokers' Lung Cancer Risk

Detectable chemical IDs smokers with lots to lose

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(Newser) – A chemical detectable in urine can help predict which smokers are prone to lung cancer, NPR reports. A 10-year study of 500 smokers found that those with the highest levels of nicotine and NNAL—created as the body metabolizes tobacco—were 8.5 times more likely to develop cancer. Researchers believe NNAL levels are linked to genes.

A decade-long study linked high NNAL levels to smokers who developed cancer.
A decade-long study linked high NNAL levels to smokers who developed cancer.   (Shutter stock)
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Smoking absolutely increases your risk, but why it does so in some people but not others is a big question. - Jian-Min Yuan, associate professor of public health, University of Minnesota

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SPH
Apr 20, 09 7:32 PM CDT
I would think that "those with the highest levels of nicotine and NNAL" are perhaps those that smoke the most....... Reply
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