Jack, the studies for this gene took place in Europe. One of the research doctors was interviewed on NPR today, as well. Everyone has always known that even very heavy cigarette smoking produces lung cancer in some, not all, smokers. A man who was 115, I believe, just died today in my neck of the woods, and while he did not drink, he smoked cigars daily his whole life.
Clearly, in some people there is a protective mechanism against the cancer part of the ravages of smoking. Of course, respiratory problems and arterial vascular disease and all the other damage can occur in those people who are protected from the lung cancer.
I also heard the Surgeon General speaking today on NPR. He cited statistics that while 70% of smokers want to quit at any given time, only 2.2% are able to do that in any given year. Also, that while teenagers believe they will quit smoking before it harms their bodies, 80% of them are never able to quit, and one-third die of smoking related illnesses. So it is very important to concentrate stop-smoking efforts on young people before they start. |
