Urine Test Predicts Smokers' Lung Cancer Risk

Detectable chemical IDs smokers with lots to lose
By Ambreen Ali,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 20, 2009 3:45 AM CDT
Urine Test Predicts Smokers' Lung Cancer Risk
A decade-long study linked high NNAL levels to smokers who developed cancer.   (Shutter stock)

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.
(More lung cancer stories.)

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