Lung Cancer Research Paper

Lung cancer: The beginning, progression, and how it exerts its lethal effects

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women, but is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. All cells in the body contain the genetic material called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Every time a mature cell divides into two new cells, its DNA is exactly duplicated. The cells are copies of the original cell, identical in every way. In this way our bodies continually replenish themselves. Old cells die off and the next generation replaces them. A cancer begins with an error, or mutation, in a cell’s DNA. DNA mutations can be caused by the normal aging process or through environmental factors. (http://www.lungcancer.org) The risk of developing lung cancer is highest in smokers, but many people who do not smoke also develop lung cancer each year. High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also

In its early stage, basal cells of bronchial epithelium multiply and the ciliated pseudostratified epithelium transform into the stratified aquamous type. As the dividing epithelial cell invades the underlying tissues of the brochial wall, the bronchus develops bleeding lesions. Dense swirled masses of keratin appear in the lung parenchyma and replace functional respiratory tissue (Saladin, pg 883)

Adenocarcinoma is a second form of lung cancer; it is originated in the mucous gland of the lamina propria. This form of lung cancer occurs more often in women, and most often in the peripheral lung fields. It is slow growing but often is not diagnosed until metastasis has occurred.

Small –cell (sometime called oat cell carcinoma) is the least common (10% - 20% of malignancies) but is the most dangerous form because the small –cell grows rapidly and often has metastasized by the time of diagnosis. Small cell lung cancer occurs almost exclusively in heavy