A nicotine toenail test can determine the individual’s risk of lung cancer, a study carried out at the University of California, San Diego has suggested.
Researchers at the US university took toenail clippings from 850 men, and followed them for up to 12 years to see who developed lung cancer.
The study revealed 20% of toenails containing highest amount of nicotine identified the men at the highest risk of lung cancer. Men with the highest toenail nicotine were 3.5 times more likely to have developed lung cancer 12 years later when compared to men with least nicotine in their toenails.
The study reveals that toenail nicotine levels provide a biomarker that can determine the risk of lung cancer independent of reported smoking history.
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