It gradually destroys the interface between the air sacs and the bloodstream, compromising the ability of the lungs to oxygenate the blood and to release the built up carbon dioxide waste product. About 1 in 5 people with emphysema will eventually develop lung cancer. Normally, the division of cells in the adult lung to make new cells is under very tight control. The genes themselves are made up of DNA , the master genetic code material. If the genes are damaged, say by chemicals or radiation, the control over cell division may be lost in one particular cell.
Lung cancer starts in a single lung cell .
That cell starts dividing haphazardly, making millions and billions of copies of itself. It takes up the nourishment needed by other cells, depriving them so the cancer can continue to grow. A tumor simply means a swelling, it can be caused by inflammation or infection. It is this capacity for spread that makes cancer so dangerous. If not treated successfully, it ultimately kills by debility, anemia, infection, compromise of other organs and interference with normal body functions.