L‐myc Genotype is Associated with Different Susceptibility to Lung Cancer in Smokers

We have shown that L‐myc genotype is associated with the risk of esophageal cancer from smoking and heavy drinking. In this study, we have analyzed the relationship between the L‐myc genotypes and lung cancer risk from smoking in 191 Japanese lung‐cancer patients and 241 non‐cancer controls. The odds ratios (ORs) were markedly higher in SS and LS genotypes than in LL genotype; age‐sex‐adjusted ORs were 3.19, 2.30 and 0.92, respectively. This result suggests that the L‐myc polymorphism may affect the induction of lung cancer by smoking. The OR for smoking in SS‐genotype patients diagnosed within 2 years was higher than that in other SS patients, suggesting that smoking‐related lung cancer in SS genotype might exhibit a poorer prognosis.