Loading...
Many nonpulmonary cancers are more common in smokers, particularly male smokers. In certain men, loss of chromosome Y (LOY) occurs in some white blood cells (WBCs): At some point during cell division, the Y chromosome has not been successfully transmitted. In addition, men with LOY in their WBCs have higher risk for cancer.
What causes LOY? In a study involving 6014 men in three cohorts with detailed data on illnesses, lifestyle factors, education, and disease risk factors, an international team has shown that both advancing age and smoking history increase the likelihood of LOY in circulating WBCs. The odds ratio of LOY in current smokers compared with nonsmokers ranged from 2.4 to 4.3 across the three cohorts. A clear dose-response relatio…