Interesting research on why male smokers get more cancers than female smokers.

[Shirtbloke]

Found this at New Scientist (it's all the Y chromosomes guys).....

Here's another reason for men to quit smoking. Aside from the well-known dramatic increase it causes in the [FONT=arial, sans-serif] risk of lung cancer[/FONT], smoking has now been found to obliterate a chromosome in blood cells that could offer vital protection against cancer growth elsewhere in the body........
.......The good news, however, is that Y chromosome levels in former smokers were the same as those in non-smokers. "The most important message is that this is reversible, so when you stop smoking, you no longer have the increased accumulation of cells that lose the Y chromosome"

http://www.newscientist.com/article...RSS|NSNS|2012-GLOBAL|online-news#.VIC0ltKsWbs

 

[pamdis]

Very interesting. I wonder what accounts for the extra protection women have then, as they have vastly lower overall cancer rates then men.

CDC - Cancer - Data and Statistics - Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity

 

[Shirtbloke]

Very interesting. I wonder what accounts for the extra protection women have then, as they have vastly lower overall cancer rates then men.

I think it's not so much extra protection for women as less protection for men. There may be other things that can cause Y chromosome levels to drop, not just smoking.

 

[Mossy]

It is nice to know that it is reversible...........

 

[Shirtbloke]

It is nice to know that it is reversible...........

Yes indeed.

 

[csardaz]

Very Wierd - blood cells missing a chromosone. Knowing how cells divide .... I don't see how a viable cell gets made thats missing a chromosone.

 

[Bill Godshall]

This is more junk science by researchers who want publicity (and funding) for themselves.

The reason male smokers have traditionally had higher rates of smoking attributable cancers than female smokers is because male smokers have traditionally smoked far more cigarettes per day than have female smokers.

 

[Kent C]

This is more junk science by researchers who want publicity (and funding) for themselves.

The reason male smokers have traditionally had higher rates of smoking attributable cancers than female smokers is because male smokers have traditionally smoked far more cigarettes per day than have female smokers.

What I assumed without actually looking at the stats. These type of 'stories' hit the health and food sites/shows daily and their attention holding half-life is about a half a day - yet sometimes repeated in a later 'similar' story to give it some believability where it deserves none.

 

[AndriaD]

This is more junk science by researchers who want publicity (and funding) for themselves.

The reason male smokers have traditionally had higher rates of smoking attributable cancers than female smokers is because male smokers have traditionally smoked far more cigarettes per day than have female smokers.

What I assumed without actually looking at the stats. These type of 'stories' hit the health and food sites/shows daily and their attention holding half-life is about a half a day - yet sometimes repeated in a later 'similar' story to give it some believability where it deserves none.

Thjat's what I was thinking, too... Smoking causes the destruction of Y chromosomes? So, what, men turn into women? I bet a lot of transgender people would love to know there's an easier way than years of hormones and surgery.

And since we're discussing junk (if not pure garbage!) science... I've always felt that Y chromosomes were just X's with one leg knocked off.

Gimme a break. Seriously. This is getting absolutely ridiculous.

Andria