WCLC 2016 | The role of nicotine in cancer and its impact on therapy

Sergei Grando, MD, PhD of University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA discusses the role of nicotine in lung cancer and its effect on therapy in lung cancer. Nicotine can damage the DNA of cells and can cause mutations. It also can promote tumor growth and facilitate survival of cancer cells. Therefore, it both increases likelihood of developing cancer, and is counterproductive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy by reducing their efficacy. Prof. Grando talks about his research into how the signaling pathways activated by nicotine could potentially be blocked as a novel approach. This could be applicable for many cancers. Recorded at the 2016 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC) of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Vienna, Austria.