Researchers at The University of California and Harvard School for Public Health have studied the nicotine levels in the toenails of men. The study found that testing nicotine levels in the toenails was more reliable than testing the saliva or urine because they grow slower and accrue more stable levels. The levels of nicotine were also helpful in determining whether a man would develop lung cancer. Those who had high levels of nicotine in their toe nails were 3.57 times more likely to contract lung cancer.
Lung cancer is often deadly and affects thousands of men and women alike. Lung cancer kills more people in the United States than any other cancer. Smoking cigarettes can be directly attributed to the contraction of a variety of different types of lung cancers. Men fall victim to lung cancer more than women.
One type of lung cancer that is extremely dangerous is mesothelioma which attacks the lining of the lungs. Although smoking doesn’t directly cause mesothelioma it can make contracting the deadly cancer likelier to those who smoke. Mesothelioma can be directly attributed to exposure to the toxic building material asbestos. Until the mid-80’s asbestos was used in buildings and homes but was prohibited when it was discovered that it caused mesothelioma. People who were exposed to asbestos through their work in construction or shipyards are high risk groups. Even family members who could have come in contact with asbestos through clothing risk developing mesothelioma.
