Nicotine in cigarettes linked to breast cancer for the first time

	Tweet

The substance that makes cigarettes addictive may also cause the growth of cancer tumours, scientists revealed today.

It is the first time nicotine has been implicated as one of the chemicals in cigarettes that can trigger the development of breast cancer.

The findings, published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, could be a major blow to makers of nicotine-based products that help smokers to quit.

Normal cigarettes are known to contain at least 60 cancer-causing substances including carbon monoxide, tar and arsenic, but until now nicotine had not been on the list.

Researchers from Taipei Medical University looked looked at both breast cancer cells and normal cells to see if nicotine promoted tumour growth at a cellular level.

Dr Yuan-Soon Ho and his team found that when normal cells were treated with nicotine in the laboratory it promoted the development of cancer characteristics. Likewise reducing the level of nicotine inhibited tumour growth.

The research could have a negative impact on companies that make nicotine gum, patches and electronic cigarettes that are promoted as a ‘healthy alternative’ for smokers.

The authors said their study was limited by its small sample size, which looked at just a few hundred Asian patients and further study was needed.

In an accompanying editorial Dr Ilona Linnoila of the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, said: ‘The study suggests not only that smoking could be causally related to breast carcinogenesis but also that nicotine could directly contribute to the molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis in addition to indirectly contributing by promoting addiction to smoking.’

She added: ‘Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the cholinergic pathways will lead to more opportunities for intervention and prevention of tobacco toxicity.’

###

By Claire Bates
Daily Mail

RELATED STORIES:
Why cholesterol-lowering statins might treat cancer   DCIS patients who get invasive breast cancer have higher mortality   Saliva Test May help Detect Breast Cancer   Women advised to avoid ZEN bust-enhancing supplements because of possible cancer risk   Early Breast Cancer Detection Saves Lives   Gene therapy kills breast cancer stem cells, boosts chemotherapy   New screening technique could provide more reliable breast cancer detection   Sun Yong Lee, M.D., Appointed Assistant Director at Jefferson Breast Care Center   Breast Cancer Statistics   Statin Therapy Ineffective in Breast Cancer Prevention   New breast cancer test under study   Interventions for relieving the pain and discomfort of screening mammography   Benefit of breast cancer screening small   Study Links African Ancestry to High-Risk Breast Cancer   Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy Associated with Survival in Select Group of Breast Cancer   Researchers Will Test Potentially Cheaper, Less Invasive Breast Cancer Screening   Gene Variant Increases Breast Cancer Risk   Not all women change lifestyle after cancer   Risk of Death From Breast Cancer Higher Among Older Patients   Cadmium linked to breast cancer   Discovery of protein fragment that helps predict breast cancer outcome   Future Hope for Patients with Breast Cancers Resistant to Tamoxifen

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]