Tobacco.org

Genetic Variant Raises Lung Cancer Risk  

People with a particular genetic trait are at much higher risk of developing lung cancer from exposure to secondhand smoke than others, even if they rarely come into contact with it, a new study finds.

Researchers also found that smokers with this variant are more susceptible to lung cancer, whether they light up a lot or a little.

"If you carried the inherited risk and then you smoked, it didn't matter if you were a light smoker or a heavy smoker -- you were significantly more likely to develop lung cancer," study co-investigator Susan Pinney, an associate professor in the department of environmental health at the University of Cincinnati, said in a news release from the school.

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