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Article: MIT Scientist Rejects Mutagenic Cause of Neoplasms; Espouses Outside Factors Over Mutations.
- Article from:
- BIOWORLD Today
- Article date:
- November 4, 2009
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Science Editor
How about a little True/False quiz?
(a) Cigarettes contain mutagens, which cause lung cancer. Therefore, you would find more mutations in the lung DNA of people who smoke than in those who don't.
(b) In identical twins of mature years, one set had smoked for about 40 years; the other had not. Their large number of mutations - lots of them - showed no difference between smokers and nonsmokers.
If you chose (a) you're in good company, as a large majority of people blame cancer on mutagens.
If you picked (b) you're in the minority view, which indicts these mutagenic properties.
And you're in the company ...