Additional candidates to conventional genes susceptible for lung cancer and changing trend in Japan.

The polymorphism of CYP1A1*2A or CYP1A1*2B, and the linkage of CYP1A1*2A, CYP1A1*2B, GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms have been established as susceptible genes or gene-gene interactions of tobacco-related lung cancer. New candidate genes susceptible for lung cancer such as NQO1 (NAD(P)H:quinine oxidoreductase), NAT2 (N-acetyltransferase 2), and several others have been reported. In the present review we focus on new candidate genes susceptible for lung cancer, then examine all Japanese references by meta-analysis on susceptible genes over the past 20 years, and discuss whether new candidates and changing trend in Japan could be caused by environmental change.