Computer model predicts who needs lung cancer screening

A machine learning model equipped with only data on people’s age, smoking duration and the number of cigarettes smoked per day can predict lung cancer risk and identify who needs lung cancer screening, according to a new study publishing October 3rd in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Thomas Callender of University College London, UK, and colleagues.

$50 million gift to expand health sciences research at Virginia Tech

The Richmond, Virginia-based Red Gates Foundation recently committed $50 million to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC to accelerate health sciences research at Virginia Tech. The gift is among the largest ever made to the university.

Rutgers Experts Oversee Journal Supplement Focused on Research About Premium Cigars

Experts at the Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies at Rutgers served as guest editors of “Regulatory Research Advances on Premium Cigars,” a special supplement of Nicotine & Tobacco Research sponsored by the Center for Coordination of Analytics, Science, Enhancement, and Logistics in Tobacco Regulatory Science with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products.

Gender, race and socioeconomic status are associated with comorbidity in people with HIV who smoke

High rates of smoking among people with HIV are associated with high rates of comorbid health problems – which are associated with characteristics including gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, according to a study in the July issue of The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC). The official journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, JANAC is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

“Radon”: a Lung Cancer Threat Next Door – Chula’s Engineering Professor Suggests Ways to Protect Ourselves

Radon is a radioactive element naturally found in rocks, soil, sand, and water, which humans generally use in construction. This dangerous gas is second only to smoking in contributing to lung cancer. A Chula engineering professor suggests ways to defend ourselves from this threat.

New Research Shows E-Cigarette Use Up Sharply Among Younger Adults in U.S. During EVALI Outbreak and COVID-19 Pandemic

A new study by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows almost three-quarters of a million more adults in the United States, ages 18-29 years, used e-cigarettes between 2019-2021 during the period that spanned the EVALI outbreak (E-cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury) and COVID-19 pandemic.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Leads Collaborative Effort to End Lung Cancer Related Stigmas

Stigma can have profound and lasting effects, and studies have shown that people living with lung cancer may encounter challenges in receiving the support they need from their social network and healthcare providers. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is committed to helping eliminate the stigmas associated with a lung cancer diagnosis and is working to raise awareness in collaboration with other national organizations.

Dr. Taghrid Asfar, a Known Expert on Reducing Tobacco Use & Related Deaths, Available to Media

Taghrid Asfar, M.D., M.S.P.H., Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Health System Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Population Health Sciences, Department of Public Health Sciences Dr. Asfar is an internationally known expert on reducing tobacco…

Peptide Treatment May Improve High White Blood Cell Count Associated with Smoking

Article title: Recombinant human β-defensin 2 delivery improves smoking-associated lung neutrophilia and bacterial exacerbation Authors: Nadia Milad, Marie Pineault, Gabrielle Bouffard, Michaël Maranda-Robitaille, Ariane Lechasseur, Marie-Josée Beaulieu, Sophie Aubin, Benjamin A. H. Jensen, Mathieu C. Morissette From the authors: This…

Study Shows Older Age and Smoking Most Important Risk Factors for Developing Any Cancer

A new large study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society shows older age and smoking are the two most important risk factors associated with a relative and absolute five-year risk of developing any cancer. The findings also demonstrate that in addition to age and smoking history, clinicians should consider excess body fatness, family history of any cancer, and several other factors that may help patients determine if they may benefit from enhanced cancer screening or prevention interventions. The data was published today in the journal Cancer.

Study Shows Fewer People Tried to Quit Smoking During COVID-19 Pandemic

A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society shows serious smoking cessation activity declined among adults in the United States immediately after the onset of COVID-19 and persisted for over a year. Declines in attempts to quit smoking were largest among persons experiencing disproportionately negative outcomes during COVID-19, including Black people, people with comorbidities, middle-aged people, and lower educated people. The data was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open.

Scientists discover genes that affect the risk of developing pre-leukaemia

The discovery of 14 inherited genetic changes which significantly increase the risk of a person developing a symptomless blood disorder associated with the onset of some types of cancer and heart disease is published today in Nature Genetics. The finding, made in one of the largest studies of its kind through genetic data analysis on 421,738 people, could pave the way for potential new approaches for the prevention and early detection of cancers including leukaemia.

Smoke Break: UNLV Study Strengthens Link Between Smoking and Increased Fracture Risk in Men

It’s no secret that puffing cigarettes is the culprit behind a host of ailments, including respiratory diseases and throat cancer. But a new UNLV study reveals that male smokers — who, demographically, are more likely than women to light up — are also placing themselves at a significantly increased risk of osteoporosis, bone fractures, and early death.