A process where dormant cancer cells can be activated back to life has been discovered bringing in the idea of a new diagnosis technique meant to treat cancer completely without leaving any traces of its cells whether dead or inactive neither giving room for the development of secondary malignant growths at a separate site from the primary site of cancer.

If the dormant cells are activated back to life, they can multiply be developing into vast metastatic tumors. Sustained lung inflammation not to forget that brought about by exposure to tobacco smoke results to dormant breast cancer and prostate cancer cells that move along to divide within the lungs. These cells grow and spread in the lungs from one tumor cancer cell thus increasing their fatality.

A research team led by Mikala Egeland revealed a way of blocking the stages that activated the inactive cancer cells, an idea that could prevent cancer mitosis or at least reduce its frequency. They revealed that inflammation of the lung as a result of mice being exposed to tobacco smoke-induced defense cells known as neutrophils to activate close dormant cells in a splendid way.

Two enzymes: green dots and red dots sequentially produce a protein called laminin-111 in lung tissue bringing a signal that activates dormant tumor cells making them multiply the seed that could probably result to be a metastatic tumor according to the research made by Egeland lab in conjunction with cold spring harbor laboratory.

Neutrophils, which we usually use to exterminate bacteria and yeast, have a few ways of killing their prey. Among them is to push out their DNA into the space outside the cell membrane. Mixed with toxic enzymes, the expelled DNA forms a hazy trap that is capably vanquishing a pathogen.

The latest research shows that maintained lung inflammation causes Net-formation within the inactive tumor cells. The Net has two enzymes called Neutrophil elastase and Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 which interact with Laminin. The direct interaction of inflammation and net formation lead to the activation of dormant tumors cells if they are in the adjacent vicinity-one mechanism of metastasis.