Biomarkers needed to gauge passive smoke exposure

Biological indicators, also known as biomarkers are needed to examine whether exposure to SHS(SHS) can cause lung cancer or not. SHS, also known as environmental tobacco smoke, is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers and lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished. Although numerous reports have linked exposure to SHS to lung cancer, the extent of the risk remains debatable. To confirm if SHS contributes to lung cancer in humans, American researchers reviewed various human and laboratory studies and focused on the mechanisms by which SHS may contribute to the development of lung cancer. Variations over time in the concentration, composition and source of SHS make it difficult to gauge exposure and since lung cancer has a long period of latency, the timing of SHS exposure is important. Biomarkers could be helpful in analysing the impact of SHS on humans. It was concluded that exposure to SHS can be analyzed in blood; tissue or other samples, or through imaging scans through biological indicators or biomarkers.

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