Lung cancer effects

Shatma S, Miller P, Stolina M, et al. Multi-component gene therapy vaccines for lung cancer effective eradication of established murine tumors in vivo with interleukin 7/herpes simplex thymidine kinase-transduced autologous tumor and ex vivo-activated dendritic cells. Gene Ther 1997 4 1361-1370. 

Effects of indoor air pollutants on humans are essentially the same as those described in Chapter 7. However, there can be some additional pollutant exposures in the indoor environment that are not common in the ambient setting. From the listing in Table 23-1, radon exposures indoors present a radiation hazard for the development of lung cancer. Environmental tobacco smoke has been found to cause lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. Biological agents such as molds and other toxins may be a more likely exposure hazard indoors than outside. 

At typical indoor concentrations, COj is not thought to be a direct cause of adverse health effects however, COj is an easily-measured surrogate for other occupant-generated pollutants. Eye, nose, and throat irritation headaches lung cancer may contribute to heart disease buildup of fluid in the middle ear increased severity and frequency of asthma episodes decreased lung function. ETS is also a source of odor and irritation complaints. 

Several toxic effects of inorganic oxides become evident when oxides are inhaled in a finely powdered form. A high concn of powdered oxides can lead to asphyxiation on short exposure or lung cancer at somewhat lower concns if the exposure occurs over a prolonged period. 

The a-tocopherol, P-carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention study was a randomised-controlled trial that tested the effects of daily doses of either 50 mg (50 lU) vitamin E (all-racemic a-tocopherol acetate), or 20 mg of P-carotene, or both with that of a placebo, in a population of more than 29,000 male smokers for 5-8 years. No reduction in lung cancer or major coronary events was observed with any of the treatments. What was more startling was the unexpected increases in risk of death from lung cancer and ischemic heart disease with P-carotene supplementation (ATBC Cancer Prevention Study Group, 1994). Increases in the risk of both lung cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality were also observed in the P-carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET), which tested the effects of combined treatment with 30 mg/d P-carotene and retinyl pahnitate (25,000 lU/d) in 18,000 men and women with a history of cigarette smoking or occupational exposure to asbestos (Hennekens et al, 1996). 

One other study deserves a mention. The Cancer Prevention Study 11 was a prospective investigation using a very large cohort of over one million adult Americans, in which the effects of commercial multivitamin supplements and vitamins A, C or E on mortality were studied, during a follow-up period of seven years. The results were complex in that the use of multivitamins plus vitamins A, C and/or E significantly reduced the risk of lung cancer in both former smokers and life-long non-smokers, but vitamins A, C and E apparently increased the risk in current smokers. 

ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL BETA-CAROTENE (ATBC) CANCER PREVENTION STUDY GROUP (1994) The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers , New Engl J Med, 330, 1029. 

HONG w K and wu x (2000) Dietary intake of isothiocyanates evidence of a joint effect with glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms in lung cancer risk . Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 9 1017-20. 

OMENN G S, GOODMAN G E, THORNQUIST M D, BALMES J, CULLEN M R, GLASS A, KEOGH J P, MEYSKENS F L, VALANIS B, WILLIAMS J H, BARNHART S and HAMMAR S (1996) Effects of a combination of beta-carotene and vitamin A on lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. N EnglJ Med 1150-1155. 

SUGANUMA M, OKABE s, KAi Y, suEOKA N, suEOKA E and FUJiKi H (1999) Synergistic effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate with (-)-epicatechin, sulindac, or tamoxifen on cancer-preventive activity in human lung cancer cell line PC-9 , Cancer Res, 59, 44-7. 

The First International Symposium on Disease Prevention by IP6 and other Rice Bran Components. was conducted in Kyoto, Japan on June 8-9, 1998. Scientists from all over the globe gathered and presented their research findings on the effect of IP6 and other rice bran components on several aspects of health. The brain storming sessions of nearly 35 presentations demonstrated that IP6 is a chemopreventive agent as both a cancer inhibitor and a cancer suppressor in mammary gland, colon and lung cancer (Shamsuddin et al, 1997). 

Omenn, G.S. et al., Risk factors for lung cancer and for intervention effects in CARET, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial, J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 88, 1550, 1996. 

Lutein has some structural similarities to P-carotene, reported to enhance the development of lung cancer when given in supplement form to heavy smokers. The available data indicate that lutein in food would not be expected to have this effect. The committee was unable to assess whether lutein in the form of supplements would produce the reported effect in heavy smokers. 

---