Lung cancer may be seen later for those exposed to secondhand smoking in childhood

In our previous article, we had reported as to how higher levels of nicotine could be found in children exposed to secondhand smoking at home. Pertaining to this, a new study claims that children in contact with secondhand smoking could have an augmented danger of developing lung cancer when they are adults, regardless of the fact that they may have never smoked in their life.

It is observed that this year alone, approximately more than 2,19,000 Americans could be detected with lung cancer; and roughly more than 1,59,000 could expire owing to it and a few of those could be individuals who have never smoked in their life.

Numerous studies have apparently illustrated that exposure to secondhand smoke in adulthood could have harmful health effects. But not much data is supposedly available on one’s threat of developing lung cancer when exposed as a child.

This study was alleged to be carried out in two independent cohorts and incorporated a molecular examination of gene variants of innate immunity i.e. the mannose binding lection-2 gene, or MBL2 gene. The MBL2 gene is apparently identified to influence vulnerability to respiratory diseases.

By means of the current National Cancer Institute-Maryland Lung Cancer study with about 624 cases and roughly 348 controls, Curtis C. Harris, M.D., chief of the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis at NCI, and colleagues apparently gathered data on secondhand smoke past record among men and women. The experts then applied DNA for genotyping the MBL2 gene.

Then, to pit against each other, Harris, Ping Yang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues utilized the outcomes from a Mayo Clinic study where it was seen that around 461 were never smokers, around 172 cases and 289 controls.

Harris and colleagues supposedly discovered a relationship between childhood exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and augmented danger of developing lung cancer in adulthood. Additionally, MBL2 activity was claimed to be linked with an even bigger threat amid those who were exposed to secondhand smoke during childhood.

Harris remarked, “Children should not be exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke due to the long-term health implications they can face in adulthood.”

He added that these outcomes could call for supplementary examination in a bigger study population.

The study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.