Epigenetic processes that cause key anti-cancer genes, such as the tumor suppressor P16, to be switched off could explain the increased prevalence of lung cancer. A recent study showed that a few years of smoking can have this effect, making smokers more susceptible to a variety of cancers.
形成关键抗癌基因——如肿瘤抑制素P16——的发育遗传过程被关闭，这就是肺癌发病率增加的原因。一份最新研究表明，数年吸烟史会导致这一现象，因此烟民更有可能罹患多种癌症。