Why don’t some smokers get lung cancer? Maybe discover science

Scientists believe they’ve figured out why some smokers never develop lung cancer in their lifetime: cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for the condition, with 90% of deaths from the disease occurring among smokers. The best way to protect yourself from this type of cancer is to not smoke.

But what about that lady over 90 who smoked from a very young age and never had any problems? Well, not all smokers are doomed to get cancer. In fact, the vast majority of them have baffled scientists. When analyzing these people, it was found that their lungs are less susceptible to mutations during their lifetime.

study of the lungs

The study, published in April in the journal temper nature, bronchial samples were collected from 14 non-smokers and 19 consumers of light, medium and heavy levels of tobacco, creating a genetic profile for each. The genomes of lung cells were then sequenced for mutations.

Lung cells can live for years or even decades, and mutations accumulate with age and smoking. The bronchi are more likely to become cancerous. Although tobacco is already linked to lung damage, the rate of mutation increases with each year of consumption, after the equivalent of 23 years of smoking one pack a day, the risk is no longer rising, entering a statistical plateau.

Scientists found that the most voracious smokers did not have the highest rate of mutations, and the data suggest that the ability of these individuals’ cells to suppress the accumulation of mutations is responsible for their ability to repair DNA or detoxify cigarette smoke.

This may explain why an estimated 80% to 90% of lifelong smokers do not develop lung cancer, and why some non-smokers end up developing the disease. Genes related to DNA repair can be inherited or acquired, and silenced Associated with the development of tumorsRegardless of its type.

In addition to tobacco, there are factors such as Diet can also increase cancer riskAs they affect the nutrients that affect the development of tumors in the body. It’s not known exactly what makes one person better able to repair DNA than another, but the geneticists responsible are planning to develop ways to measure this ability and future lung cancer risk.

source: temper nature