TUESDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthScoutNews) -- A chemical cousin of vitamin A may shield former smokers from lung cancer.

Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center found that giving a vitamin A derivative called 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) to former smokers restored production of a protein believed to protect against lung cancer. Their report appears in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (news - web sites). The study found no evidence that three months of therapy with 9-cis-RA restored health to cells that were already precancerous. However, the study shows that "chemoprevention" of future lung cancer may be feasible. There are about 45 million former smokers in the United States. By quitting smoking, they've reduced their risk of developing lung cancer. However, the genetic damage caused by smoking doesn't immediately disappear when someone stops smoking. Half of all new lung cancer cases are diagnosed in former smokers. Researchers are trying to find ways to stop smoking-related genetic damage from turning into cancer.

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