Lung Inflammation and Lung Metastases From Breast Cancer

The purpose of this study is to find out if there is a link between cigarette smoking, inflammation and the spread of breast cancer to the lung. We think that women who are current or former smokers may be at increased risk for breast cancer spreading to the lung compared to women who have never smoked. Smoking causes inflammation in the lung in some women. Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering (MSKCC) think that smoking-related lung inflammation may increase the chance of breast cancer spreading to the lung. In order to find out whether inflammation plays a role in breast cancer spreading to the lung, we will measure a urinary marker of lung inflammation. This will allow us to determine if this marker is more commonly elevated in women with breast cancer that has spread to the lung compared to those without breast cancer in the lung. We will also collect DNA from blood to have the opportunity to determine if there are differences in DNA in women with or without breast cancer that has spread to the other sites including the lung. We will also collect blood to determine if we can identify risk factors for the spread of breast cancer to the lungs.