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
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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
level? A mutation in just one allele of proto-oncogenes can cause over production of cells tumor, and thus tumor formation, because they are dominant. Tumor suppressor genes require mutations of both alleles to inhibit function because they are recessive.
Cancer is a term used for diseases in which irregular cells divide without any control and have the capability to penetrate and infect normal body tissue through the blood and lymph system. Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the United States, exceeded barely by heart disease. According to the CDC Cancer Statistics and Data, there were more than 1.45 million people diagnosed with various kind of cancer between 1999 and 2007 and out of those more than 562,000 people died due to cancer (cdc.gov, 2012). Currently there are more than 200 different types of cancer that have been discovered. Cancer could be
Tis means that the cancer cells are only growing in the most superficial layer of tissue, without growing into deeper tissues. This is also known as in situ cancer or pre-cancer.
Moreover, it’s important to understand that gene mutation occurs in our cell all the time. Accordingly, the prevention of cancer is profoundly dependent on the p53 tumour suppressor protein, which is the process to eliminate excess, damaged or infected cells by apoptosis (Haupt 2003). But if the cell doesn’t die in the process of apoptosis, it may lead a person to developing a cancer. Oncogene are a sequence of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that has been altered or mutated from its original form and induces cancer (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2017). Some people have high risk of developing cancer because they inherited mutations in certain genes (Cancer research UK 2014). Mutation are classified into two, inherited and acquired types of mutation, widely discussed below (ASCO 2017)
Human life starts from a fertilized cell which breaks down, again and again, an adult human body is composed of the abundance of cells and each one have their own specific function to perform. During adulthood, most of the cell does not duplicate except some cells continue to divide to replace the old or damaged cell in blood, skin and intestine. This growth is very controlled and no excessive cell growth takes place. But sometimes when a mutation occurs in one or more genes which causes unnecessary cell reproduction and as a conclusion, there is no control over the growth of cells. It is called malignant transformation and this is the starting of cancer (Hosick et al., 2015). There are many different types of cancer but the early stage diagnosis
If there are mutations of the oncogene, then there will be uncontrolled cell division and therefore tumour formation will occur. However, the chances of the tumour developing into a benign tumour is unlikely as the tumours must break free and invade nearby tissue and this is life threatening. The chances of this happening is slim, however, due to the increased longevity of humans in the recent century, the chances of cancer will therefore increase. The signs of growth are practical abilities that permit malignancy cells to survive, duplicate and spread. Harm to cell DNA is included in mutagenesis and the improvement of malignancy. The DNA in a human cell experiences a few thousand to a million harming occasions for every day, created by both outside (exogenous) and inside metabolic (endogenous) forms. Changes to the phone genome can produce blunders in the interpretation of DNA and resulting interpretation into proteins
Each day, hundreds of people find themselves face to face with the word “cancer.” There is an estimate of 4600 new cancer diagnosis each day. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the united states, and is a major health concern worldwide. However, over the past 3 decades the survival rate for all cancers has climbed over 20%.
Despite significant advances in research, Breast Cancer is still the most common cancer, affecting both men and especially women. In the US, 232, 670 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed along 62,570 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer in women and about 2,360 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in just 2014 .
Cancer occurrs by the production of multiple mutations in a single cell that causes it to proliferate out of control. Cancer cells often different from their normal neighbors by a host of specific phenotypic changes, such as rapid division rate, invasion of new cellular territories, high metabolic rate, and altered shape. Some of those mutations may be transmitted from the parents through the germ line. Others arise de novo in the somatic cell lineage of a particular cell. Cancer-promoting mutations can be identified in a variety of ways. They can be cloned and studied to learn how they can be controlled.
It is one of the most dreaded messages to receive. . . “You have cancer”. In 2017, it is estimated that 1,688,780 people in the United States will receive this news (“American Cancer Society”). A diagnosis of cancer can be devastating for a person and his or her family. Many consider a cancer diagnosis a death sentence. It is important to understand what exactly cancer is. Despite a lack of new treatment methods, cancer survival rates are increasing; not much new techniques are being used, and cancer cannot be cured unless more research is done.
Normal cell function is to grow, divide, and die; cancer cells on the other hand grow out of control and their main function is to survive and proliferate (55). This uncontrolled growth of cancer cells is due to the alteration of genes. These genes are oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Normal genes in the cell are proto-oncogenes that control how often the cell divides. When the proto-oncogene is mutated it becomes an oncogene which results in the gene being permanently turned on or activated. This results in the uncontrolled growth of cells and can lead to cancer. The tumor suppressor gene, in normal functioning cells will slow down cell division, DNA repair mistakes, or tells the cells to undergo apoptosis, but when inactivated it will
There are no symptoms at the early stages of breast cancer which makes early detection even more difficult. When tumors become large there is an obvious breast mass which is mostly not painful. Symptoms of breast cancer include breast thickening, skin irritation, tenderness, swelling, breast scales, distortion, redness tenderness, nipple retraction and ulceration, There may also be abnormal discharge.
One gene that cause an increased risk for cancer is the p53 gene. This gene functions by controlling the cell cycle. It causes and increased risk for cancer by being mutated to many times and is usually the cause of over 50% of all human cancers. Another cell that causes an increased risk for cancer is the BRCA1 gene. This gene functions to stop tumor formations and growths. If the gene has a mutation then a tumor will begin. This is one of the genes that will cause breast cancer. The two types of tumors are benign and malignant. Benign tumors remain at the original site of formation and can be removed by surgery or radiation. Malignant tumors send out a signal to start a blood vessel line at the tumor to spread the cancerous cells around the
8. After surgery, R.T. is admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) with a large
Cancer is a deadly disease that has some very serious effects on a person both physically and mentally. Cancer can result in a simple surgery that may take only a couple days, or a life-long struggle that leaves someone so fatigued and tired that it makes them want to give up. It will put fear in anyone's eyes and will devastate even the strongest of people, but cancer can bring out the courageousness in a person to fight this disease and not give up. It can be a fatal disease but it can also bring out the strength in someone which is an amazing thing. Cancer has many serious effects on a person's body and their mental health and others, but can also inspire a person to dig deep and fight this disease