Genes Raise Addiction, Lung Cancer Risk

Not all smokers get lung cancer. And some people can quit more easily than others. Some of the reasons may be genetic, new research shows. The studies found different versions of genes that increase the risk of both lung cancer and smoking addiction. Smokers who get the gene variants from one parent have a 30% greater risk of lung cancer. The risk goes up 80% for smokers who get the genes from both parents. Another study found that people with these genes get addicted more easily and smoke more. Three different studies found the variant genes on chromosome 15. USA Today and the Associated Press wrote about the studies April 3. They were published in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics.