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Cancer Control Research

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) We propose to exhaustively search and evaluate the rich databases that exist in the form of tobacco litigation documents in the state of Minnesota, and in Guildford, England; as well as the Internet Sites dealing with tobacco and tobacco smoke of the four major U.S. tobacco companies, the Tobacco Institute, the Council for Tobacco Research, the U.S. House of Representatives Commerce Committee, the State of California, and Online Tobacco Documents of Michael ("Tac") Tacelosky. We specifically intend to extract citations of industry research on carcinogenic N-nitrosamines, especially the nicotine-derived N- nitros-amines in the changing cigarette (cigarette engineering and its consequences for the smoker), and on tobacco additives. Since the first epidemiologic documentation of a link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer in 1950, the make-up of the U.S. cigarette has undergone drastic changes. It has been established that the addictive nature of nicotine is a major reason for sustained habitual use of tobacco, and that nicotine-derived N-nitrosamines are major carcinogens. The tobacco industry over many decades publicly denied that the nicotine dependency exists. It also rejected the fact that cigarette smoking is causally associated with the risks for cancer of the lung, upper respiratory tract, pancreas, renal pelvis, and urinary bladder, and that it increases the risk for coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive lung disease and stroke. In spite of this official stance, industry scientists have undertaken research that is germane to the study of nicotine addiction, and to product changes designed to "minimize" health risk for the smoker. This required increased use of flavor additives and it is undocumented whether combustion products of such agents add to the toxic and genotoxic potential of cigarette smoke. We plan to extract from the cited documents information on invaluable baseline research that points the way to future research needs; whereby we aim to reduce tobacco addiction and tobacco smoking, and to minimize the risks associated with tobacco use while addiction persists.