Question: Is cancer related to pnuemonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconosis? If so then tell me what pnuemonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconosis has to do with cancer because pnuemonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconosis is a disease to do with ash from volcanoes so what does pnuemonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconosis have to do with cancer?

Karin Purshouse answered on 15 Jun 2022:

So breaking down that incredibly long word into something that I understand 🙂 basically that is inflammation of the lung which, in the case of this long word, is caused by volcano ash. The group of medical problems is called ‘pneumoconiosis’ which can be caused by inhalation of very fine particles of something. We generally think of it more as an occupational thing, so previously coal miners would have inhaled coal dust and that causes a particular pattern of lung damage. I saw a lot of that earlier in my training because I trained in a region where former coal miners lived.

As with any chronic inflammation, this can predispose to cancer, probably because your body is working extra hard to keep track of mistakes, and chronic inflammation leads to cells becoming less normal over time, often leading to scarring and other cell changes that can kick off cancer.

Top marks for finding the longest word though, Stardust Crusader!