Former Smoker

Some people who used to smoke cigarettes continue to be at higher risk of developing lung cancer, even years after quitting. This study will look to see if a specific chemical, phenanthrene, is broken down in the lungs of former smokers through more harmful pathways than never-smokers. If former smokers break down chemicals that enter their lungs through more harmful pathways this might be putting them at higher risk for developing lung cancer even though they quit smoking. This information may help find better ways to prevent or treat cancer in the future. This study is under an IND, but the drug is not being studied; instead, it is being used as a marker for drug metabolism.