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Research on Lung Cancer Risk Factors

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The reason the majority of this research on lung cancer risk factors can be dated to the 1990's is because this period was defined by an increased societal awareness to the adverse health effects of smoking tobacco. During the 1990's, over 40 states filed federal lawsuits against major American tobacco companies, and the growing involvement of the Surgeon General's office motivated many independent researchers to narrow their focus to lung cancer and its causes. Furthermore, this period of time saw the largest increases in lung cancer rates ever recorded, as the Baby Boomer generation of lifelong smokers began to suffer the health consequences of their habit. During the last decade, with the link between lung cancer and tobacco-derived carcinogens conclusively established, the scientific community has dedicated fewer resources to the study of lung cancer risk factors.

References

Kreuzer, M., Kreienbrock , L., Gerken, M., Heinrich, J., Bruske-Hohlfeld, I., Muller, K.M., &

Wichmann, H.E. (1998). Risk factors for lung cancer in young adults. American Journal of Epidemiology, 147(11), 1028-1037. Retrieved from

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/147/11/1028.full.pdf

Molina, J.R., Yang, P., Cassivi, S.D., Schild, S.E., & Adjei, A.A. (2008). Non small cell

lung cancer: Epidemiology, risk factors, treatment, and survivorship. Mayo Clinic

Proceedings, 83(5), 584-594. Retrieved from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2718421/

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