Lack of a relationship between the polymorphism of debrisoquine oxidation and lung cancer.

1. Determination of debrisoquine oxidation phenotype was carried out in 119 healthy subjects, 135 patients with chronic bronchitis and 153 patients with lung cancer, all of Caucasian origin. 2. A non-Gaussian distribution of the log D/HD ratio was observed in the three groups. 3. Assuming an antimode of 1.12, the proportion of PMs was found to be 6.7% in healthy subjects, 8.9% in chronic bronchitics and 6.5% in patients with lung cancer. These differences were not significant. 4. The presence of a lung tumour itself had no influence on phenotype in a group of 14 patients who were phenotyped before and after surgery. 5. We conclude that a link between debrisoquine phenotype and lung cancer is unlikely.