Relationship between Cancer and Senile Changes in the Lung

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Abstract
There is a morphological difference between alveolar cells of young mice and those of old mice; in the latter the lamellar inclusions which are thought to give origin to the tensioactive substance responsible for lung elasticity contain a smaller number of lamellae. The decreased elasticity of the lung could favor the stagnation of inhaled carcinogens. Besides the lamellar inclusions there are spiral form bodies which seem independent of the former and show no modifications in relation to age. The cells with lamellar inclusions are selectively damaged by the influenza virus and to a greater extent the cells of old mice. Since the inhaled carcinogens or cigarette fume provoke lung cancer only in association with the influenza virus, the greater susceptibility of old lung to the influenza virus can contribute to its greater susceptibility to lung cancer. From our previous researches carried out on various epithelial tissues we were able to conclude that senility in itself is a precancerous condition because there are certain morphological similarities between senile cells and tumor cells. From the present research on the lung, we can conclude that senility can also favor the action of carcinogenic substances.

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