Why do ex-smokers continue to have a higher 'lung' cancer risk than non-smokers?

BBC News: Even years after quitting, former smokers still have a raised risk of lung cancer - and now scientists believe they know why.

Smoking appears to permanently alter the activity of key genes, even though most cigarette damage is repaired over time.

Canadian researchers, writing in the journal BMC Genomics, looked at lung tissue of 24 people.

UK experts stressed that giving up still delivers massive health benefits. It has been shown that the poisons in cigarette smoke can alter the activity of genes.

If you give up smoking, your risk of lung cancer falls significantly, but former smokers continue to have a slightly higher risk of lung cancer compared with someone who has never smoked.

The latest study from the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre in Vancouver suggests that some of these changes might be permanent.

They studied cell samples from the lungs of eight current smokers, 12 former smokers and four people who had never smoked.

Some gene changes appeared to be relatively short-lived, reversing after they had quit the habit for a year or more.

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Smoking rates are falling in the U.S! - says Gallup

The Gallup Organization, which studies human nature and behaviors around the globe, has concluded from its ‘Gallup Smoking Poll’ that smoking rate in the Unites States is at its lowest level, since the 1950’s, and it is great news for a country, which has the highest rate of cancer in the world.

This news story throws more light on this poll (which was conducted across the globe) and its findings.

Skin Cancer – Types & treatment options

Skin cancer, which is an increasingly common condition, is easily detectable in the early stages, as the tumor (the malignant growth on the skin), is usually clearly visible. Hence, it is essential for us to know about the types of skin cancer and how to detect it early, so that medical help can be sought at the earliest, before the cancer spreads to other parts of the body.

Being the fastest growing type of cancer in the developed world, it is more important for us to be aware of skin cancer, in order to reduce the risk of developing it.

This howstuffworks video talks about the common types of skin cancer and the different treatment options available to patients, to fight this disease.

Gene Therapy – The new frontier in the fight against cancer!

Scientists in the United Kingdom are using gene therapy, as a new approach to treat cancer. They are using genetically modified Human Herpes Virus (of the family Herpesviridae) to infect tumor cells and to destroy them and by doing so they are able to harness the destructive power of this virus (which usually causes infection in humans, marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or mucous membranes or on the genitals) to seek out and destroy cancer.

The genetically modified Herpes Virus not only destroys tumor cells, but also produces biomarkers that help our immune system to identify tumor cells. This new approach has been effective in animals and a handful of cancer patients in clinical trials. Scientists believe that gene therapy could become a radical new approach to fight cancer, in future.

This news video from BBC News throws more light on this ground-breaking research.

Breast self-examination – The best defence against breast cancer!

Breast cancer (cancer of breast tissue), is the most common form of cancer in women, affecting one out of eleven women at some stage of their life, in the developed world. It is expected to cause some 41,000 deaths in the United States, this year, and the number has been steadily increasing since 1970’s, due to the changes in our lifestyle. Breast cancer is a potential killer and early detection is vital to increase the chances of survival.

Breast self-examination helps in detecting breast cancer early, when it is more treatable and women should check their breasts regularly for any changes in size, shape, lump, tenderness or nipple discharge and consult a healthcare professional, if they find anything unusual with their breasts.

This video explains how to conduct breast self-examination and how to detect unusual changes in the breasts.

Note: This video could be inappropriate to some viewers (under the age of 13)