国外媒体:科学家揭秘香烟究竟为什么会致癌（在线收听）

科学家表示，试验证明，那些在尿样中被发现有高剂量NNAL（一种尼古丁衍生物）的吸烟者患癌症的可能性比那些尿样中NNAL剂量少的吸烟者患肺癌的可能性多一倍。而如果在尿样中同时发现高剂量的NNAL和另一种被称为Cotinine的尼古丁衍生物，这类人群患肺癌的可能性比尿样中两种衍生物含量都很低的人群高出7倍。

A new published report says at least a dozen victims and families of those killed in Rhode Island in 2003 in a nightclub fire have filed for bankruptcy protection while awaiting their share of a 176-million-dollar settlement. Providence Journal reports its review of bankruptcy court records shows some victims have lost their homes and vehicles or were laid off after they recovered from their injuries and returned to work. 100 people died in the fire in February 2003 at the Station nightclub. It started when the pyrotechnics group used by the band Great White ignited soundproofing foam in the building.

Researchers have found that urine test for a particular chemical may be useful in predicting which smokers will develop lung cancer. NPR's Joanne Silberner has the story.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Shanghai and Singapore suspected that a breakdown product of tobacco called NNAL might play a role in lung cancer. They look for NNAL in the urine of 500 smokers, half of whom developed lung cancer. Smokers with high levels of NNAL were twice as likely to get lung cancer. Smokers with high levels of both NNAL and a nicotine-related compound were eight times as likely. A low level of NNAL and a lower risk of lung cancer is no licence to light up. Tobacco smoke causes other cancers, heart disease and emphysema. Urine test for the compound may someday be useful in identifying people who should be screened more frequently for lung cancer. The researchers reported their results at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting. Joanne Silberner, NPR News.

A spokesman for the group Doctors Without Borders confirms that two workers of the group are missing in Somalia. Witnesses say the two may have been abducted by a masked gunman.

I'm Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.