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The Ins and Outs of Cancer Essay

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The Ins and Outs of Cancer

Cancer has affected the lives of each and every one of us alive today. Many people have know someone with cancer, yet even those who haven't have been bombarded with constant reminders of its terrible threat. Although cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases, all characterized by the uncontrolled growth, reproduction, and spread of abnormal body cells. All of these diseases are individually unique, yet the basic processes that produce cancers are very similar (Ruddon, 1995). The human body consists of over 30 trillion cells, living in a complex, interdependent harmony. They regulate each other's proliferation; normal cells reproduce …show more content…

Proto-oncogenes induce cell growth and reproduction, while tumor suppressor genes inhibit it. Together, they carefully control the proliferation of cells. However, if a proto-oncogene is mutated, it can become a carcinogenic oncogene, driving excessive multiplication. Tumor suppressor genes, on the other hand, contribute to cancer when they are inactivated by mutation (Ruddon, 1995).
Luckily, cancerous tumors are not caused by one little mutation in one cell -- they are caused by multiple mutations in a number of the cell's growth-controlling genes. The number of mutations necessary can be as low as two or quite high, depending on the specific type of cancer. Generally, these mutations occur either from mistakes during cell reproduction, or due to DNA damage caused by carcinogens such as tobacco, certain poisons, and UV rays. So, why don't we all get cancer from these things right away? Consider that one of your cells is damaged by poison and becomes mutated. In order for this cell to turn into a cancer cell, the rest of the necessary mutations must also occur in this very same cell. This in itself, is fairly unlikely. It normally takes decades for an incipient tumor to collect all the mutations required for it's malignant growth, which explains why the average age for cancer diagnosis is 67 (Ruddon, 1995). Why, then, do some individuals

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