CIGARETTE SMOKE-INDUCED DNA-DAMAGE IN CULTURED HUMAN LUNG-CELLS

Most human cancers are thought to be caused by environmental factors and among them tobacco smoke is the most important1 and is thought to cause 30-40% of all deaths by cancer.2 The mechanism/s for cigarette smoke-induced carcinogenesis are not completely elucidated but cigarette smoke is a complete carcinogen (can act both as an initiator and as a promoter) and contains large amounts of carcinogenic and/or cocarcinogenic compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, N-nitrosamines, heterocyclic amines, catechols, aldehydes, and reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM).1 Recently it has been suggested that ROM are important for smoke-induced carcinogenesis 3 and evidence exists that ROM are involved both in the initiation and promotion and/or progression stages in chemical carcinogenesis.4-8.