Lung Cancer Research Paper

Cells go through a process called mitosis in order to divide and produce more cells. When cells go through mitosis, the DNA replicates and the cell divides in two separate daughter cells. The cells will go through five stages when they divide; interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. The regulation of cell growth is not constant and is determined by feedback from the cell. Cells may reproduce because of cell growth, cell replacement or regeneration. When a cell must reproduce, it sends signal to the surrounding cells to start dividing. Once there is enough daughter cells, signals are generated which allows the cells to stop reproducing. Smoke, sunlight and many more factors can result in the signals being mutated and reproduction

These abnormal cells divide and cluster together forming a tumour. External factors can cause the DNA to change creating cell mutations. The most common factors that affect the DNA in lung cells are smoke from cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco. There are over seven thousand chemicals in cigarette smoke and over seventy of them are carcinogens. These carcinogens break down single strand DNA in lung cells. When the DNA breaks down, the genes in the DNA change which causes the cell to mutate. The location of the tumours depends on the type of lung cancer. However all of the tumours in the lungs cause the respiratory pathway to be disturbed. The bronchi are smaller extensions of the bronchus. When a tumour develops in the bronchi, the air exchange from the external environment and internal environment gets closed off. When the aveoli cells become cancerous, the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide becomes more challenging. When the lining of the outer portions of the lung develop a tumour, it takes up space which deforms the shape of the lung. This can cause healthy cells to be pushed together which can damage the tissue and cause the lung to collapse. Some common symptoms of lung cancer are persistent coughing without cold/ flu like symptoms, change in colour of saliva, change of voice (hoarse) and harsh sounds with each breath. Lung cancer can spread to other parts of the body called metastasis. Approximately 40 percent of humans with lung caner metastasize before they are diagnosed. Lung cancer spreads when a cell breaks off of the tumour and travels in the bloodstream or lymph system. When a cancer metastasizes, it has a primary cancer and secondary cancer and goes on depending on how many types of cancer you have. The primary cancer is the first development of cancer inside the body. Lung cancer can