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Smokers’ chance of lung cancer doubles in those with breast cancer risk gene

A large study has found that smokers carrying a certain breast cancer risk gene are twice as likely to develop lung cancer.


A large study has found that smokers carrying a certain breast cancer risk gene are twice as likely to develop lung cancer.

The research, published in the journal, Nature, involved over 27,000 people. Researchers compared the genetic codes of those with and without lung cancer.

They found that smokers were 40 times more likely to develop lung cancer. This risk doubled in those with the breast cancer gene.

The researchers say that these results could suggest that drugs used to treat breast cancer could be effective in some lung cancers, but that the most effective way of reducing the risk is to not smoke.

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