What is the Genetic Component of Lung Cancer?

   My name is Robert Resta, and I’m a certified genetic counselor working at the Hereditary Cancer Clinic at Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle.  Dr. West asked me if I might provide a few general comments about the genetic contribution of lung cancer. 
   In truth, this is a complicated question. There is little doubt that […]

Radon Exposure and Lung Cancer

   Radon is a product of the decay of naturally occuring uranium in the earth, and it’s estimated to be responsible for perhaps 2-3% of lung cancers overall.  In one reference (here) doesn’t offer any details of where the numbers come from, an estimated 26% of lung cancer in never-smokers is caused by radon:

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Cooking Fumes and Risk of Developing Lung Cancer (Particularly in Never-Smokers)

   It has been noted for many years that Asian women appear to be particularly predisposed to lung cancer despite a low frequency of smoking.  Many of the series from resected NSCLC series have never-smoker rates of 30-50%, with the majority of these never-smokers as women.  As we’ve struggled to understand and explain risks, hormonal […]

Recurrence and New Cancers after Curative Treatment of Lung Cancer

   Among the key issues in following patients with a history of treated lung cancer is the pattern of recurrence. We need to have a sense of when the risk is highest and where people are more likely to demonstrate new evidence of disease. Fortunately, there are several studies that can help us with these […]

Tool for Predicting Risk of Developing Lung Cancer Among Smokers

   One of the more interesting websites that has some interesting tools for making cancer-related predictions is nomograms.org, part of the website for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  A nomogram is similar to the venerable slide rule, the old calculating device, but the important thing to know is that it allows for people to either use a pencil and […]

Genetics, Family History, and Lung Cancer

   Many members have asked questions about increased risk of lung cancer among family members of people who have developed lung cancer.  Overall, I have not highlighted this, partly because we don’t tend to highlight genetics as a major contributor of lung cancer risk.  But the fact is that 10-15% of people who develop lung […]

Secondhand/Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) and Risk of Lung Cancer

In light of a growing focus on the issue of lung cancer in never-smokers, it makes sense to try to identify potential causes in this population.  Among the leading candidates as a cause of lung cancer in never-smokers is secondhand, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure.  This potential cause was identified more than 25 years […]

Clinical Trial Focus: ECOG 5597 & Selenium Supplementation for Prevention?

   In addition to risk for having a recurrence of a lung cancer that has been surgically removed, patients with a history of early NSCLC are also at risk for a second primary (unrelated to the first) lung cancer.  In other words, having had a lung cancer, even if it was cured, means that a person remains […]