Diane-Michel.com

Zheng W, Lee SA.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37203-1738, USA. wei.zheng@vanderbilt.edu

PMID: 19838915 [PubMed - in process]

Resource:  National Cancer Institute

1.  
   • arsenic (a heavy metal toxin)
   • benzene (a chemical found in gasoline)
   • beryllium (a toxic metal)
   • cadmium (a metal used in batteries)
   • chromium (a metallic element)
   • ethylene oxide (a chemical used to sterilize medical devices)
   • nickel (a metallic element)
   • polonium–210 (a chemical element that gives off radiation)
   • vinyl chloride (a toxic substance used in plastics manufacture)
2. What is secondhand smoke?
3. How is secondhand smoke exposure measured?
4. Does secondhand smoke contain harmful chemicals?
5. Does exposure to secondhand smoke cause cancer?
6. What are the other health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke?
7. What is a safe level of secondhand smoke?
8. What is being done to reduce nonsmokers’ exposure to secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke (also called environmental tobacco smoke) is the combination of sidestream smoke (the smoke given off by the burning end of a tobacco product) and mainstream smoke (the smoke exhaled by the smoker) (1, 2, 3, 4). Exposure to secondhand smoke is also called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. People are exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, cars, the workplace, and public places such as bars, restaurants, and other recreation settings. In the United States, the source of most secondhand smoke is from cigarettes, followed by pipes, cigars, and other tobacco products (4).

 Secondhand smoke is measured by testing indoor air for nicotine or other smoke constituents. Exposure to secondhand smoke can be tested by measuring the levels of cotinine (a nicotine by-product in the body) in the nonsmoker’s blood, saliva, or urine (1). Nicotine, cotinine, carbon monoxide, and other evidence of secondhand smoke exposure have been found in the body fluids of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke.

Yes. Of the more than 4,000 chemicals that have been identified in secondhand tobacco smoke, at least 250 are known to be harmful, and 50 of these are known to cause cancer. These chemicals include (1):

Many factors affect which chemicals are found in secondhand smoke, including the type of tobacco, the chemicals added to the tobacco, the way the product is smoked, and the paper in which the tobacco is wrapped (1, 3, 4).

 

Yes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP), the U.S. Surgeon General, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have classified secondhand smoke as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) (1, 3, 5).

Inhaling secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in nonsmoking adults (4). Approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths occur each year among adult nonsmokers in the United States as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke (2). The Surgeon General estimates that living with a smoker increases a nonsmoker’s chances of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent (4).

Some research suggests that secondhand smoke may increase the risk of breast cancer, nasal sinus cavity cancer, and nasopharyngeal cancer in adults, and leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors in children (4). Additional research is needed to learn whether a link exists between secondhand smoke exposure and these cancers.

Secondhand smoke causes disease and premature death in nonsmoking adults and children (4). Exposure to secondhand smoke irritates the airways and has immediate harmful effects on a person’s heart and blood vessels. It may increase the risk of heart disease by an estimated 25 to 30 percent (4). In the United States, secondhand smoke is thought to cause about 46,000 heart disease deaths each year (6). There may also be a link between exposure to secondhand smoke and the risk of stroke and hardening of the arteries; however, additional research is needed to confirm this link.

Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and more severe asthma. Being exposed to secondhand smoke slows the growth of children’s lungs and can cause them to cough, wheeze, and feel breathless (4).

There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Studies have shown that even low levels of secondhand smoke exposure can be harmful. The only way to fully protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure is to completely eliminate smoking in indoor spaces. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot completely eliminate secondhand smoke exposure (4).

Many state and local governments have passed laws prohibiting smoking in public facilities such as schools, hospitals, airports, and bus terminals. Increasingly, state and local governments are also requiring private workplaces, including restaurants and bars, to be smoke free. To highlight the significant risk from secondhand smoke exposure, the National Cancer Institute, a component of the National Institutes of Health, holds meetings and conferences in states, counties, cities, or towns that are smoke free, unless certain circumstances justify an exception to this policy.

More information about state-level tobacco regulations is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System Web site. The STATE System is a database containing up-to-date and historical state-level data on tobacco use prevention and control. This resource is available at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/statesystem/ on the Internet.

On the national level, several laws restricting smoking in public places have been passed. Federal law bans smoking on domestic airline flights, nearly all flights between the United States and foreign destinations, interstate buses, and most trains. Smoking is also banned in most Federally owned buildings. The Pro-Children Act of 1994 prohibits smoking in facilities that routinely provide Federally funded services to children.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Healthy People 2010, a comprehensive, nationwide health promotion and disease prevention agenda, includes the goal of reducing the proportion of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke from 65 percent to 45 percent by 2010 (7). More information about this program is available on the Healthy People 2010 Web site at http://www.healthypeople.gov/ on the Internet.

Internationally, several nations, including France, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and Uruguay, require all workplaces, including bars and restaurants, to be smoke free.

Selected References

1. National Toxicology Program. Report on Carcinogens. Eleventh Edition. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program, 2005. 
2. National Cancer Institute. Cancer Progress Report 2003. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004. 
3. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary Smoking. Lyon, France: 2002. 
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006. 
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking (Also Known as Exposure to Secondhand Smoke or Environmental Tobacco Smoke–ETS). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992. 
6. California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air Contaminant: Part B Health Effects, 2005. 
7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000. 

Related NCI materials and Web pages:

• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 10.16, Questions and Answers About Cigar Smoking and Cancer
  (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cigars)
• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 10.19, Quitting Smoking: Why To Quit and How To Get Help
  (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cessation)
• Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph 10: Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
  (http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/10/index.html)
• NCI’s Smoking and Cancer Home Page
  (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/smoking)

For more help, contact:

NCI’s Cancer Information Service
Telephone (toll-free): 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237)
TTY (toll-free): 1–800–332–8615
LiveHelp^® online chat: https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/livehelp/welcome.asp

Reference:

National Cancer Institute (2009). Secondhand smoke questions and answers.  Retrieved November 2, 2009 from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/ETS

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2009
News Release Resource:  Cancer Research UK Press Release

On the eve of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cancer Research UK today sends out a warning that if thousands of women continue to ignore invitations to breast screening they could be putting their lives at risk.

The NHS breast screening figures have shown that around three in 10 women still do not attend screening*.

In 2008, out of 2.2 million women who were sent an invitation for screening, 1.7 million attended – around 73 per cent.

Now experts are predicting that if all women attended screening when invited, then around 600 extra lives could be saved each year.

In January the number of newly invited women in England who went for screening fell below 70 per cent for the first time.

Former airline stewardess Barbara Gibbs, from Berkshire, believes a routine mammogram saved her life. Twelve years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer after she was called back for a second mammogram after she had gone for breast screening.

“After surgery I was given six weeks of radiotherapy and then put on tamoxifen for five years,” says Barbara who is now 68. “I was lucky because my cancer was caught early even though I had no lump and no symptoms.

“I wouldn’t be alive today if I hadn’t gone for that mammogram. I feel very positive that I am a survivor and I just can’t emphasise how strongly I feel that women must take up their invitation to breast screening. It certainly saved my life because the cancer was caught early and treated promptly.”

Doreen Walker, from Potters Bar, who now volunteers in one of Cancer Research UK’s charity shops, was also diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram 16 years ago, a year after retiring from the NHS.

“I feel very lucky to have been picked up by screening. I made sure I went for a mammogram every three years and honestly believe I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for breast screening. I would certainly recommend that all women go for their appointments – it is vital for every woman and could save their life,” says Doreen who is now 78.

With more than 45,500 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 it is now the most common cancer in the UK.

In England the NHS breast screening programme diagnoses around 10,000 cases of breast cancer each year and saves around 1,400 lives every year.

Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK’s director of cancer information, said: “Screening saves lives, so it’s extremely worrying to see that the percentage of women going for screening is dropping. Mammograms pick up the very early signs of breast cancer when it’s much easier to treat. Even though the screening programme saves around 1,400 lives each year we predict that if there was 100 per cent attendance, hundreds more lives could be saved.

“Although there has been some criticism of the breast cancer screening programme in the past it is still the best weapon we have in the early detection of a disease that affects more than 45,500 women every year. Our research has found that screening has reduced breast cancer death rates by up to a quarter in women within the screening age range, while international research found that for every 500 women screened, one life will be saved.

“But it’s vital that we’re not complacent. Monitoring and improving the screening programme, including the information available to women, is important to ensure women are fully aware of the benefits and any possible risks of screening.”

Professor Stephen Duffy, Cancer Research UK’s professor of cancer screening at Queen Mary, University of London, said: “Most women who go for screening are reassured to be told that they don’t have breast cancer. But, it’s still important for all women who are invited to attend. For the minority who do get breast cancer, catching it early through screening means women are more likely to be successfully treated and less likely to need a mastectomy.”

Professor Julietta Patnick, Director of the NHS Breast Cancer Screening Programme, commented: “The NHS Breast Cancer Screening Programme welcomes the support of Cancer Research UK in encouraging women to accept their screening invitations. The Programme is working hard to understand the factors that affect women’s uptake of invitations in order to provide the best possible service, and to provide women with the right information for them to make their decision.”

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For media enquiries please contact the Cancer Research UK press office on 020 7061 8300 or, out-of-hours, the duty press officer on 07050 264 059.

Notes to Editors:

To find out how to get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month and help raise funds to save lives click here.

*from “Breast Screening Programme, England 2007-08″ NHS Information Centre, Jan 2009 – uptake figures for 50-70 year olds.

Reference:
info.cancerresearchuk.org (September 30, 2009). Charity concerned that one third of women ignore breast screening invite. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressreleases/2009/september/breast-screening-invite

Resource: Geoffrey Bene Cancer Research Center

“The GEOFFREY BEENE CANCER RESEARCH CENTER AT MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER was established in 2006. The total value of combined Geoffrey Beene donations exceed $106,000,000.

G. Thompson Hutton, the Trustee of the Geoffrey Beene Foundation and President of Geoffrey Beene, LLC, has orchestrated the activities to build and support this ambitious research initiative. “The hallmark of the GEOFFREY BEENE CANCER RESEARCH CENTER AT MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER is its focus on revolutionary new research approaches across a variety of cancers, strategies that will lead to prevention through improved diagnostics and enhanced quality of life treatments toward the ultimate goal of making cancer a more manageable and perhaps one day, a curable disease.”

Since its creation, the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center has served as the focal point for an array of projects, aimed at translating works at the cellular level into revolutionary new research approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating the disease. It brings together researchers and physicians from two complementary areas: the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, based in the Sloan-Kettering Institute (SKI), which studies the genetic and biochemical events that trigger the transformation of normal cells into cancerous ones, and the Memorial Hospital-based Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, which pursues new insights into the molecular mechanisms of cancer from the perspective of clinical oncology.

“The Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center has helped galvanize our efforts to gain new insights into cancer and to apply that knowledge to the development of more effective strategies for patient care,” said Harold Varmus, President of MSKCC. “We are especially grateful to Tom Hutton and his colleagues at Geoffrey Beene, LLC for recognizing the significance of the work being done here.”

The funds from Geoffrey Beene support advanced new research initiatives spanning the entire range of translational research, funding core research labs, the establishment of senior and junior faculty chairs, graduate fellowships, and the annual Geoffrey Beene Symposium.

The Center provides support for the Geoffrey Beene Translational Oncology Core, directed by Dr. Charles Sawyers. The core performs genomic analyses of clinical material by applying state of the art genome-scale molecular profiling technologies.

The Center also provides support for the Microchemistry and Proteomics Core Facility and Genomics Core Facility aimed at significantly augmenting Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s capacity for translational cancer research in genomics.

Nine research grants were funded in the first year of the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center. In 2008 an additional ten research grants were funded as well as three proposals for shared resources.

Since the inception of the Center, Johanna Joyce, PhD, and Andrea Ventura, MD/PhD, Assistant Members in the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, and Ross Levine, MD, Assistant Member in the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, have been appointed Geoffrey Beene Junior Faculty Chairs. Hyung-Song Nam, an MD/PhD student, and Sindy Escobar-Alvarez, a PhD student, were named the first Geoffrey Beene graduate fellows in 2007. The second Geoffrey Beene Graduate Fellowships in 2008 were awarded to two PhD students, Vasilena Gocheva and Barry S. Taylor.”

Oversight of the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center is provided by the following members of its Executive Committee: