Why Choose Us?

Blog

Failure to Diagnose Cancer

Unnecessary Cancer Tests IdentifiedPosted on 4/19/2012
Could What Happened to a NY Breast Cancer Victim Happen in Georgia?Posted on 3/2/2012
Young Adult Cancer Death Rate Has Not Fallen as it Has for Other AgesPosted on 1/28/2012
Pediatric Failure to Diagnose Cancer Case to Move ForwardPosted on 1/25/2012
Avoiding Cancer Deaths: UGA Researchers Share Exciting Cancer NewsPosted on 1/16/2012

Cutting Edge: How Toenail Clippings Can Foresee Lung Cancer Risk

Usually, testing to detect an individual's risk for cancer involves blood tests or other standard techniques. Occasionally, we're surprised with new and different ways of detecting cancer risk. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, findings show a new way to detect lung cancer - by the nicotine levels present in toenails.

As strange as that sounds, the study found a significant link between the nicotine levels in toenail clippings and the cancer risk of the individual. The study involved more than 30,000 men, and 210 of those individuals ended up having lung cancer. The nicotine levels in the toenail clippings of those men were compared to the clippings from the healthy men.

An interesting discovery about this testing method is that it can predict lung cancer risk regardless of whether the person smoked tobacco products throughout life or not. Although smokers are typically much more at risk of lung cancer than non-smokers, findings from this study revealed that 10 percent of the men with the highest levels of nicotine in their toenails had never smoked in their lives.

This, of course, brings to light the topic of second-hand smoke and its potential repercussions. According to the American Cancer Society, some of the most common places where second-hand smoke is an issue are:

At work. Though many workplaces today have become smoke-free environments, this is still an issue in some places.
At home. We spend most of our time in our homes, so this is an especially important place with regard to second-hand smoke. In addition to affecting one's significant other, children in the home are also exposed to second-hand smoke and have increased cancer risk.
In public places. When a public place or establishment does not have restrictions on smoking, everyone is exposed to second-hand smoke.
In the car. There may not be a more deadly place for second-hand smoke than inside a car. With little room to disperse, the second-hand smoke inside a closed car leaves a non-smoking passenger completely exposed to the various cancer-causing agents in cigarettes.

Non-smokers who inhale second-hand smoke are exposed to nicotine and other toxic chemicals just as a smoker would be. Because of this, second-hand smoke is a cancer-causing agent and is recognized as such by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Approximately 3,400 non-smoking adults in the U.S. die from lung cancer every year.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung or bronchus cancer in Georgia and feel your doctor or medical professional failed to diagnose your disease as early as possible, please request one of the Dover Law Firm’s free information resources on cancer available to you, including our book, I Have Cancer…Should It Have Been Caught Earlier?, and our report, Lung Cancer: The Risks, the Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment. You can also contact an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice and lung cancer attorney at the Dover Law Firm at 770-518-1133 to discuss your legal options if you've received bad medical care for your cancer.

Watch Dover Law Firm TV Here