Is small cell lung cancer hereditary?

Cancer is a disease that has always been in people's attention. The treatment of cancer has also become a focus of frequent discussion. Among the cancer family, lung cancer is undoubtedly the most serious one. However, due to the lack of understanding of lung cancer, many friends will ask whether small cell lung cancer is hereditary. Now the editor will give you a detailed introduction.

Lung cancer is the abbreviation of primary bronchogenic carcinoma. The tumor cells originate from the bronchial mucosa or glands, and often have regional lymph node metastasis and hematogenous dissemination. In the early stage, there are often respiratory symptoms such as irritating cough and blood in sputum. The progression rate of the disease is related to the biological characteristics of the cells. Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world and is a disease that seriously threatens people's health and life.

The onset site generally follows the following rules, that is, the right lung is more common than the left lung, the upper lobe is more common than the lower lobe, and cancer can occur from the main bronchi to the bronchioles. According to the different locations of lung cancer, lung cancer is clinically divided into three categories: central lung cancer, peripheral lung cancer, and diffuse lung cancer. Lung cancer originating from the main bronchi and lobar bronchi, located near the hilum of the lung, is called central lung cancer; lung cancer originating below the segmental bronchi, located in the peripheral part of the lung, is called peripheral lung cancer; lung cancer originating from the bronchioles or alveoli, and diffusely distributed in both lungs is called diffuse lung cancer.

Lung cancer originates from the bronchial mucosal epithelium. Tumors confined to the basement membrane are called carcinoma in situ. They can grow into the bronchial cavity and/or adjacent lung tissues, and can spread through lymphatic blood or bronchial metastasis. The growth rate and metastasis of the tumor are related to its biological characteristics such as histological type and degree of differentiation.

The so-called genetic predisposition to cancer refers to the tendency of some individuals to develop cancer more easily under the same conditions. Studies have shown that the pathogenic factors of common malignant tumors such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, etc. have certain genetic factors, but the final occurrence of cancer, in addition to genetic factors, also depends on acquired factors such as mental factors, environmental factors, dietary factors and lifestyle habits. As the famous saying of traditional Chinese medicine goes, "Innate deficiency leads to acquired malnutrition."

In other words, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, and kidney cancer are highly hereditary. The relationship between lung cancer and genetic factors remains to be clarified, but in fact, lung cancer is related to family, and genetic factors affect the incidence and prognosis of lung cancer; family susceptibility is reflected in 5% to 10% of pancreatic cancer patients; the first-degree relatives (parents or siblings) of gastric cancer patients have a risk of gastric cancer that is 2 to 3 times higher than the average population; gynecological tumors also have a genetic tendency. I have treated a mother and daughter with ovarian cancer while working in the tumor field. Therefore, people with a family history of tumors should pay more attention to the possibility of tumors and be careful to avoid the accumulation of related adverse factors.

Theoretically, not all cancers have genetic factors, because anyone can get cancer. However, from a genetic point of view, cancer is more or less related to genetics. When it comes to whether lung cancer is hereditary, I believe everyone should know it after reading the above article!