Cancer – A Disease of the Genes
Cancer is an aggressive and deadly disease that can occur anywhere in the body. It is a cellular malignancy that results from the loss of normal control mechanisms that govern cell growth, differentiation and death. Cancer cells are able to proliferate continuously, invade adjacent tissues, and co-opt normal cells for support. This process leads to the formation of tumors, which can eventually infiltrate and destroy vital organ systems. In addition, the proliferation of cancer cells and their invasion are accompanied by a host of pathological features including abnormal metabolism, excessive secretion of toxic metabolites, and disruption of homeostasis.
When a person is diagnosed with cancer, a number of tests are done to find out how big the tumor is and whether it has spread from its site of origin to other parts of the body. These are called staging tests and they help doctors decide which treatment is best for the patient.
Doctors use a variety of treatments to fight cancer, but the most common are chemotherapy (say: kee-moh-THER-uh-pee) and surgery. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancerous cells by blocking their ability to grow and divide. The medicines are often given through a tube, called an intravenous line or IV, that goes into a vein in the arm or hand.
In the past, people thought that cancer was a “disease of the genes.” Scientists now know that all cancers begin with mutations in a cell’s genetic material. These mutations may be caused by environmental factors, such as smoking and too much sun exposure, or by viruses like human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B and C, and Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV).
Cancer cells can break free from their location and spread to other tissues throughout the body, which is referred to as metastasis. In fact, about 10 million people die each year from cancer, reflecting the disease’s continuing lethality and the tremendous economic toll it takes on afflicted individuals and their families.
The word cancer is most commonly used to describe a group of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth. They are categorized as solid cancers that form in epithelial tissue (like skin, breast and colon) or blood cancers that form in the blood and lymphatic system. They are also classified by where they began in the body, such as carcinoma that forms in the lungs or colon or sarcoma that forms in bone and connective tissues.
A person’s chances of getting a particular type of cancer depends on how old they are when it starts, how quickly the disease develops and which genes make them more likely to get it. Inherited gene mutations cause up to 10% of all cancers. However, lifestyle and other environmental factors are involved in the majority of cancers. The following table shows how many different types of cancers there are and their survival rates.
Cancer is an aggressive and deadly disease that can occur anywhere in the body. It is a cellular malignancy that results from the loss of normal control mechanisms that govern cell growth, differentiation and death. Cancer cells are able to proliferate continuously, invade adjacent tissues, and co-opt normal cells for support. This process leads to the formation of tumors, which can eventually infiltrate and destroy vital organ systems. In addition, the proliferation of cancer cells and their invasion are accompanied by a host of pathological features including abnormal metabolism, excessive secretion of toxic metabolites, and disruption of homeostasis. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, a number of tests are done to find out how big the tumor is and whether it has spread from its site of origin to other parts of the body. These are called staging tests and they help doctors decide which treatment is best for the patient. Doctors use a variety of treatments to fight cancer, but the most common are chemotherapy (say: kee-moh-THER-uh-pee) and surgery. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancerous cells by blocking their ability to grow and divide. The medicines are often given through a tube, called an intravenous line or IV, that goes into a vein in the arm or hand. In the past, people thought that cancer was a “disease of the genes.” Scientists now know that all cancers begin with mutations in a cell’s genetic material. These mutations may be caused by environmental factors, such as smoking and too much sun exposure, or by viruses like human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B and C, and Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV). Cancer cells can break free from their location and spread to other tissues throughout the body, which is referred to as metastasis. In fact, about 10 million people die each year from cancer, reflecting the disease’s continuing lethality and the tremendous economic toll it takes on afflicted individuals and their families. The word cancer is most commonly used to describe a group of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth. They are categorized as solid cancers that form in epithelial tissue (like skin, breast and colon) or blood cancers that form in the blood and lymphatic system. They are also classified by where they began in the body, such as carcinoma that forms in the lungs or colon or sarcoma that forms in bone and connective tissues. A person’s chances of getting a particular type of cancer depends on how old they are when it starts, how quickly the disease develops and which genes make them more likely to get it. Inherited gene mutations cause up to 10% of all cancers. However, lifestyle and other environmental factors are involved in the majority of cancers. The following table shows how many different types of cancers there are and their survival rates.