Lung Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lung Cancer - Essay Example Lung cancer originates in the lungs. Cancer is a disease that is usually associated with the wild growth of abnormal cells. In lung cancer, abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way in both or one of the lungs. Due to the fact that the cells are abnormal, they do not develop into healthy tissues and do not play any roles similar to those of normal lung cells. As abnormal cells continue to grow, they develop into a large mass known as a tumor. In a case where the tumor is located in the lungs, it can interfere with the lungs normal functions. DNA, which is a genetic component found in cells is contained in all body cells. Duplication of DNA occurs every time a mature cell divides to form new cells. For this reason, the new cells also contain DNA. Cells that are formed from the division of a mature cell are identical to the original cell in all ways. In the case where the cells are abnormal, this is usually related to a DNA error or mutation. This is usually the case in cancer. A lung cancer cell is a result of a series of mutations. Cells undergoing mutation can still function as normal cells; during this stage, the cells are said to be precancerous. With time, the cells become cancerous and it is during this time that they stop functioning as normal cells of the lungs. Lung cancer may be primary or secondary. This is usually determined by the point of origin of the growth of abnormal cells. This is because in some cases, cells travel from the original tumor to other parts of the body and continue growing there.