STUDY OF APOPTOSIS IN THE BRONCHIAL EPITHELIUM OF SMOKERS AND PATIENTS WITH LUNG CANCER

Abstract

1. Lung cancer is a major contributor to overall cancer mortality. Detecting lung cancer while it is still a localized process is an important goal for improving the outcome of this disease. 2. Apoptosis is described as a distinct set of morphological and biochemical features of programmed cell death process and can be induced in many cell types via numerous physiological, biochemical and/or noxious stimuli. It is now established that inhibition of apoptosis increases the risk for tumourogenesis. 3. In this work we tried to clarify the association between smoking and lung cancer through studying the effect of smoking on the phenomenon of apoptosis. 4. Another goal of this research was to study apoptosis as a more specific parameter for identification of the group of smokers at a high risk of developing lung cancer. 5. Lastly could the study of apoptosis be used as a method for early detection of lung cancer? In this study we attempted to answer this question. Our study population included 45 subjects. Their ages ranged form 40 to 70 years with a mean age was 48.5 ± 9.9 years, classified into three groups :