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【科普】肺癌与空气污染有关？
Air Pollution Linked to Lung Cancer
Study may explain why some nonsmokers get the disease
HealthDay
Monday, September 18, 2006
肺癌与空气污染有关
研究或许可以解释一些不吸烟者为什么患此病
每日健康网
2006.09.18 周一
MONDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A study of Texas residents suggests that tiny metallic bits of air pollution could account for some cases of lung cancer.
2006.09.18 周一（每日健康新闻）――一项对德州居民的研究提示，空气污染物中的微小金属颗粒（的作用）可能有助于解释一些肺癌病例。
The researchers aren't sure exactly how dangerous the particles are, nor do they fully understand their potential relationship to tobacco smoke.
研究者们还不能非常确定这些颗粒有多大危害，也不完全明白这些颗粒的危害与吸烟的潜在关系。
Still, "It's disturbing that there might be something in the environment causing the problem," said study author Dr. Yvonne Coyle, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "It could be these metals, and we need to look at that further."
尽管如此，“可能是环境中的某些因素引起了这些肺癌的发生，这确实是令人烦忧的，”该研究的作者德州大学达拉斯分校西南医学中心的内科副教授Yvonne Coyle博士说道。“可能就是这些金属（引起了肺癌的发生），我们需要对此进一步的关注。”
According to Coyle, 10 percent to 15 percent of lung cancer cases occur among nonsmokers. One possible explanation: Inhalation of air pollution, especially fine particulate matter -- bits of metal that are too small to be seen with the naked eye but can still enter the lungs.
据Coyle说，10%-15%的肺癌患者发生不吸烟者中。一个可能的解释就是：空气污染物的吸入，尤其是细颗粒物质――那些小到肉眼都看不到但却可以进入肺里的金属粒。
Mining, smelting and petroleum production all produce this type of pollution, Coyle said, as can motor vehicle exhaust.
采矿、冶炼及石油生成都会产生此类污染，Coyle说道，机动车尾气排放也会如此。
But while air pollution has been directly linked to respiratory disorders and heart disease, its role in lung cancer is still under debate.
虽然人们已将空气污染与呼吸系统疾病及心脏病直接联系起来，但它在肺癌中的作用仍在讨论之中。
In the new study, Coyle and her colleagues tried to determine if exposure to metallic bits of air pollution was associated with higher levels of lung cancer. To find the answer, they compared lung cancer rates in 254 Texas counties from 1995-2000 to federal reports that companies filed when they released pollution between 1988 and 2000.
在这项新研究中，Coyle和她的同事们试图去判定：暴露于空气污染环境中的金属颗粒是否与肺癌的高发有关。为了找到答案，他们将德州254个郡1995-2000年的肺癌发病率与各公司在1998-2000年排放污染物时提交给政府的报告进行了比较。
The researchers found an "association" between various types of lung cancer and releases of zinc, chromium and copper. When the study results were adjusted to take into account the effects of factors such as gender and race, zinc was still linked to lung cancer.
研究人员发现，各类肺癌与锌、铬和铜的排放之间有一层“关系”。将性别和种族这些因素的影响纳入考虑后，经调整的研究结仍表明，锌与肺癌密切相关。
The findings of the federally funded study appear in the September issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
这项政府资助的研究结果刊登在9月的《胸腔肿瘤学杂志》上。
The study doesn't say how much more likely it is for people to develop lung cancer if they're exposed to higher levels of the pollutants.
该研究没有谈及，如果人们暴露于较高程度污染的环境中，其易患肺癌的程度有多大。
Also, the role of smoking is unclear because the county-by-county statistics didn't reveal whether the individual lung cancer patients smoked. However, Coyle said smoking levels were consistent across the counties studied.
吸烟的作用也还不明确，因为郡郡逐个统计的结果不能显示那些特定的肺癌患者是否吸烟。然而，Coyle说吸烟强度在所研究的各个郡的情况是一致的。
More research needs to be done to confirm the results and "determine who is at the greatest risk, given this exposure," Coyle said.
为了证实这些结果，也为了“判断暴露在这样的环境下谁是最危险的”，需要进行更多的研究，Coyle说道。
Dr. Michael Thun, head of epidemiologic research for the American Cancer Society, suggested that the value of the study is limited because it didn't take into account smoking by the lung cancer patients.
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-02-09 05:14
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