Humans can often be stubborn, & ignorant. Smoking has short & long term health risks, yet we continue to light up the "ole cancer stick." Often, nothing can make us stop this nasty habit, believing it "won't happen to me."

Recently, evidence was produced at the American Association for Cancer Research that a warning test may be available in the next few years to be used as a "kick in the pants" for smokers.

Research has shown that when a risk of lung cancer is high, a person's urine shows an elevated percentage of 2 different chemicals.

Lung cancer is the most deadly of all tumors, with more than 215,020 new diagnosis being made in 2008. There are approximately 60 carcinogens found in tobacco smoke; identifying the byproducts or metabolites may help researchers determine which may lead to tumors.

Smokers with an advanced level of the metabolite NNAL have been recognized as having 2 times the likelihood of contracting lung cancer.

Cotinine has also been recognized as a huge indicator of risk. It is a nicotine byproduct, & the presence of this metabolite in smokers has shown them to have 3 times the risk, as compared to smokers with lower levels.

The unfortunate patient who has elevated levels of both cotinine & NNAL are 8.5 times more destined to have lung cancer, than those smokers with lower levels of the two.

It has been found that these 2 factors mean more danger for smokers than even daily consumption, or length of smoking time.

What makes one smoker more likely to have concentrated levels of these byproducts than another one? No one knows. Metabolic systems, heredity and genes all play a definitive part.



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Until 20 years ago most of hadn't even heard of Asbestos until its hazardous properties were highly publicised in the mid 1980s.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with long fibrous crystals. It is these fibres that cause Asbestos's toxicity due to the harm they cause when inhaled into the lungs. Inhalation of Asbestos can cause a number of very serious illnesses such as lung cancer and Pneumoconiosis.

Historically Asbestos has been used for many different purposes. In fact the Greeks nicknamed Asbestos the miracle mineral due to its versatility and ability to withstand extreme heat. Most famously Asbestos was utilised in construction but its uses were far more widespread - the material's heat resistance made it an ideal electrical insulator for wires and cabling for ovens and its strength was appreciated in the weaving of fabrics for clothing and table cloths etc. By the mid 20th century Asbestos was being used everywhere, examples of products utilising Asbestos are as follows: roof tiles, flooring, pipe insulation, ceiling insulation, lawn furniture, cement for fire places, brake pads for vehicles, protective clothing for firemen etc.

Unfortunately the real dangers of Asbestos were not fully understood until recently, by which time a high percentage of buildings, particularly those erected in the late 1800s and early 1900s, already contained a significant amount in their walls and roofs. Before Asbestos's toxicity was brought to light it had been considered an ideal building material - it was known to be highly fire retardant, have high electricity resistance and, most importantly, was easy and cheap to use.

Sadly heavy use of asbestos in years gone by has exposed past generations of construction workers, carpenters and roofers to asbestos and many now suffer lung disease as a result. Asbestos is only hazardous when the fibres become airborne because it is then that they can be inhaled. Once inhaled the fibres cannot be expelled due to their size, so they become lodged in the lung tissue.

Asbestos is now banned, either in whole or in part, in 60 countries worldwide including all of those in the European Union.

Asbestos Regulation

In 1970 the Asbestos industry maintained a voluntary ban on Blue Asbestos (the most harmful type of Asbestos) in its raw form. The ban did not, however, cover products containing the material. This ban was extended to Brown Asbestos (considered the 2nd most dangerous type) in 1980.

It wasn't until 1986 that the UK Government imposed an official ban on the two most harmful forms of Asbestos, and any products that contained them. The official policy was introduced to: "Prohibit the most hazardous forms and activities, namely the importation, supply and use of blue and brown (crocidolite and amosite) asbestos, asbestos spraying and the installation of asbestos insulation, License most work with asbestos insulation or coatings and Strictly control the remaining risks to anyone working with asbestos (and others affected by them)".

In 2006 the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 came into force. These new regulations combine the three previous sets of regulations covering the prohibition, control and licensing of Abestos.

The regulations prohibit the importation, supply and use of all three forms of Asbestos - Blue, Brown and white.



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Lycopene is what gives tomatoes, and several other fruits, their deep red color. But lycopene is also a powerful antioxidant that has shown remarkable effect on degenerative diseases. Tomatoes are the only major dietary source of lycopene. According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), tomatoes may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Lycopene is present naturally in human plasma in greater amounts than beta carotene and other essential dietary carotenoids. This may indicates its greater biological significance in the human defense system. The researchers in P&S and Harlem Hospital evaluated the association between lung cancer and lycopene.

Investigators collected blood samples from 93 individuals with non-small cell lung cancer and also from 102 matched controls, in a case-control study. They tested tested the samples for levels of certain micronutrients, including retinol, lycopene and beta-carotene.

The researchers found no significant differences between control subjects and subjects with lung cancer. in most of the micronutrients for which they did the tests. But they did find that lung cancer patients had significantly lower concentrations of lycopene.

After adjusting for age, race, sex, drinking, smoking, vitamin supplements, occupational exposure and season, the investigators found that the group with the lowest levels of lycopene, had almost a three-fold increased risk for cancer compared with the group with the highest lycopene levels.

When the investigators evaluated current smokers, they found that the group with the lowest lycopene blood levels had four times the risk of cancer than the group with the highest lycopene levels. According to Dr. Jean G. Ford, assistant professor of medicine and principal investigator:

"We concluded from our findings that low intake of lycopene may be a risk factor for lung cancer, especially for smokers. Even though our findings are preliminary, they add to the growing body of evidence that diets rich in tomatoes and tomato products are strongly linked to a reduced risk of certain types of cancer."



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