The Science of Lung Cancer and its Treatment

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12,800 males and 10,700 females are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.(CancerCa)The lungs are vital organs in our body which are located in the chest. Lungs bring oxygen into our body and release carbon dioxide.( oncologychannelCom) The lungs are respiratory organs that are important because they take in fresh oxygen to your blood which is then carried to your cells. Cancer occurs when mitosis goes “wild”. This means that cell division keeps dividing uncontrollably. This happens because some of the genes in the cell have been damaged or lost. (CancerhelpOrg) Oncogenes are mutated genes that promote cell division. Tumour suppressor genes are genes that slow cell division down and cause them to die.(lungcancer.aboutCom) Lung cancer is when there is an malignant growth of the lung. There were many genes and chromosomes associated with lung cancer but two genes that affect it the most are p53 tumour suppressor and ras oncogenes.

Ras genes are the most important gene out of all the oncogenes. This gene is located on the 11th chromosome and its job is to act as a switch which relays signals. When receptors on the cell surface are activated it is because the ras is switched on. The ras then sends signals which tells the cell to grow. The ras is not activated if the receptors aren’t stimulated which means the cells aren’t told to grow. In the case of lung cancer, ras is permanently switched on whether the receptors on the cell surface are stimulated or not. This results in the cell continuously growing, which is a major step in the development of cancer. (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) The p53 gene is located on chromosome 17. This gene is a tumour suppressor which is linked to lung cancer.(ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Compared to ras, p53 works ...

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...smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. When this chemicals are inhaled the affect the cells in the lungs, windpipe and air passages, which are all needed for respiration. Radon is an example of the chemicals that affect the lungs. Radon is a health hazard that is found in the air and can causes lung cancer by inhaling it.(guide4living.com)Asbestos, which is used when making fireproof objects and even pollution can also cause lung cancer!

Lung cancer is the leading death for men and women. Statistics say 23,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and about 20,500 people will die from it. Fourteen percent of people with cancer are diagnosed with lung cancer and twenty-seven percent of patients die from lung cancer. (cancer.ca) As the knowledge of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes advances, the knowledge of lung cancer and possible cure advance

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