Lung cancer becomes dormant 20 years

Lung cancer can remain dormant 20 years before it is activated and goes into aggressive form. This conclusion British scientists from University College London.

Lung cancer

Genetic mutations that cause the formation of malignant lung tumors can remain undiagnosed for two decades before additional mutations lead to the top high-grade cancer. After that lung tumor begins to grow fast enough and become more aggressive. The appearance of malignant cells results different genetic faults, fixes in different areas of the tumor.

Lung cancer

Each of the sections of the tumor evolves in different ways, and then each part of the tumor is genetically unique. The study's authors believe, that their discovery will lead to earlier diagnosis of cancer. Two-thirds patients lung cancer   to detect advanced stage, when the current treatments are ineffective. It is because of this 5 years after diagnosis only less than 10% of patients remain alive.

Scientists believe that the survival rate with the malignant neoplasm is so offensively low, despite the development of numerous new targeted treatment methods. All of them have a minimum the impact on the disease. But understanding how a tumor develops, opens new methods of treatment. The evolutionary origin of the disease gives hope that physicians learn to detect it early as possible.

The study authors have observed the development of Lung Cancer   7 patients, including smokers, former smokers and people who never smoked. Observations also confirmed the important role of smoking in lung cancer development. (READ MORE)

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