TY - JOUR
T1 - Lung cancer and environmental chemical exposure
T2 - A review of our current state of knowledge with reference to the role of hormones and hormone receptors as an increased risk factor for developing lung cancer in man
AU - Fucic, Alexsandra
AU - Gamulin, Marija
AU - Ferencic, Zeljko
AU - Stancic Rokotov, Dinko
AU - Katic, Jelena
AU - Bartonova, Alena
AU - Belac Lovasic, Ingrid
AU - Merlo, Domenico Franco
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - Lung cancer is a dominant cause of cancer mortality. The etiology of lung cancer is mainly related to cigarette smoking, airborne genotoxic carcinogens, and arsenic, but its sex-specific incidence suggests that other mechanisms, such as hormones, may also be involved in the process of carcinogenesis. A number of agents commonly present in the living environment can have dual biological effects: not only are they genotoxic / carcinogenic, but they are also hormonally active as xenoestrogens. This dualism may explain sex-specific differences reported in both types and incidence of lung cancer. In a novel approach to investigate the complexity of lung cancer, etiology, including systems biology, will be used as a tool for a simultaneous interpretation of measurable environmental and biological parameters. Using this approach, the etiology of human lung cancer can be more thoroughly investigated using the available data from oncology and environmental health. The information gained could be applied in the introduction of preventive measures, in personalized medicine, and in more relevant legislation, which should be adjusted to reflect the current knowledge on the complex environmental interactions underlying this life-threatening disease.
AB - Lung cancer is a dominant cause of cancer mortality. The etiology of lung cancer is mainly related to cigarette smoking, airborne genotoxic carcinogens, and arsenic, but its sex-specific incidence suggests that other mechanisms, such as hormones, may also be involved in the process of carcinogenesis. A number of agents commonly present in the living environment can have dual biological effects: not only are they genotoxic / carcinogenic, but they are also hormonally active as xenoestrogens. This dualism may explain sex-specific differences reported in both types and incidence of lung cancer. In a novel approach to investigate the complexity of lung cancer, etiology, including systems biology, will be used as a tool for a simultaneous interpretation of measurable environmental and biological parameters. Using this approach, the etiology of human lung cancer can be more thoroughly investigated using the available data from oncology and environmental health. The information gained could be applied in the introduction of preventive measures, in personalized medicine, and in more relevant legislation, which should be adjusted to reflect the current knowledge on the complex environmental interactions underlying this life-threatening disease.
KW - environment
KW - lung cancer
KW - pollution
KW - radiation
KW - xenoestrogen
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U2 - 10.1177/0192623310378136
DO - 10.1177/0192623310378136
M3 - Article
C2 - 20805318
AN - SCOPUS:78649912537
VL - 38
SP - 849
EP - 855
JO - Toxicologic Pathology
JF - Toxicologic Pathology
SN - 0192-6233
IS - 6
ER -