Chronic cigarette smoke exposure drives lung cancer subtypes, study finds
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examines how smoking-induced inflammation affects lung tissue.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has examined how chronic cigarette smoke exposure induces distinct stem cell states that drive non-small cell lung cancer subtypes.
According to The Hindu, the research explores the relationship between genetic mutations and the damage caused by smoking.
Oncologists have faced a conundrum where healthy human tissue often carries mutations that can drive cancer without the tissue developing tumours.
The study notes that a genetic spark alone is not sufficient to cause cancer.
The research also highlights that chronic inflammation from smoking causes profound damage to lung tissue before cancer-causing mutations take root.