Cooking Oil FumesCause Tumor

The leading cause oflung cancer among women in the city was cooking oil fumes while men are more

likely to developthe disease from smoking,said medical experts after a five-year research study.

Doctors announcedthe results yesterday with analysis on some new tendencies on lung cancer. They

said patients areyounger,especially women.

According to theShanghai Tumor Research Institute,more local residents die of lung cancer inthe city

than anythingelse.Following breast cancer,it has the second-highest incidence rate.

"An unhealthylifestyle is a very important reason for lung cancer,"said Dr. He Yuminfrom Shanghai

Minshen TraditionalMedicine Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment Centre.

He followed 2, 276lung cancer patients for five years.Among them,1,483 were male.

Smoking causes 70percent of cases among men while only 18 percent of female patients developed

cancer from smokingor inhaling second-hand smoke,according to the report.

However,more than 60percent of women with the disease had long term,close contact with strong oil

fumes from cookingand complained about irritated eyes and throat.

About 32 percentwomen fried foods in boiling oil in unventilated kitchens and about 25 percentof

women's bedroomswere adjacent to the kitchen.

However,local womenwere surprised to learn cooking oil fumc、 could lead to cancer. Some claimed

they may change foodpreparation methods.

"Unless myfamily and I don't eat at home every day,I must stay in the kitchen tocook,"said Xu Li,

a 45-year-old localwoman."I know the fumes are bad for the skin,but it is the first time thatI heard it

result in lungcancer. I have already started frying less."

Doctors said women'slung cancer had few links to personal health and physical condition, but wasclosely

related to familycancer history,unhealthy dietary habits and weak immune systems.

Other experts agreedwith him.

"Smoking is byfar the biggest cause of lung cancer for men,"said Dr. Tan Binyong,honorarypresident

of the RespiratoryDisease Institute at Fudan University's Medical College."It'strue that second-hand

smoke and cookingfumes are the main causes among women."

His research alsowarned people not to stand near of stalls selling fried food due to the poorquality of

the oils used.

The chance ofcatching lung cancer is three times higher if one is exposed to the fume for along time,

experts said.What symptoms maybe complained of by women with lung cancer after long term,close contact withcooking oil fumes?

A.Irritated eyes andthroat.

B.Severe pain inboth lungs.

C.Continuous coughand headache.

D.Difficulty inbreathing.