Cigarette Chemical Alters Genes, May Cause Cancer, Study Says
A highly concentrated chemical in cigarette smoke, acrolein, alters genes and may be an important cause of lung cancer, according to a study to appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers at the New York University School of Medicine in Tuxedo found acrolein mutated DNA and hindered cells trying to repair genetic damage, according to the study, which will be published in the journal's online edition this week.
Acrolein is 1,000 times more prevalent than other chemicals in cigarette smoke believed to cause cancer, the study said. The findings increase understanding of how smoking causes lung cancer and could be used to help make cigarettes safer, the researchers said. Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health.
Cigarette smoking contributes to about 440,000 deaths a year in the U.S. and increases the risk of developing lung cancer by about 22 times in men and 12 times in women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
