What is Cancer??What is Cancer??

Cancer The name for disease(s) in which the body's cells become abnormal and uncontrollably divide

.

Normal cells stop dividing; Cancer Normal cells stop dividing; Cancer cells don’t !cells don’t !

• A healthy cell must:A healthy cell must:– receive adequate nutrition receive adequate nutrition – be attached to other cells (to a be attached to other cells (to a

membrane or to fibers between membrane or to fibers between cells) to divide. cells) to divide.

– stop dividing if they get too stop dividing if they get too crowded.crowded.

• Cancer cells continue to divide, even when crowded. They also can detach and spread to other parts of the body (known as metastasis).

breast cancer cells

Causes of Cancer: Causes of Cancer: MutationsMutations

• Normal cell division is controlled Normal cell division is controlled primarily by genes that code for primarily by genes that code for growth factors. growth factors.

• Mutations in these genes can Mutations in these genes can lead to cancer. lead to cancer.

Mutations Any change to DNA. The change

can result in:•Damaged gene(s)

•Missing gene(s)

•Gene(s) that end up in the wrong place

•mistakes when a cell divides

If a change DNA happens in a sex cell, the mutation can be passed on to the child.

Environmental Mutations- Environmental Mutations- CarcinogensCarcinogens• Any substance that causes

cancer• Includes: tobacco, asbestos,

X-rays, UV rays, some organic solvents, industrial pollutants, or even viral infections!!

Types Kinds of Cancer• Carcinoma - Carcinoma - Cancer that begins in Cancer that begins in

skinskin or or tissuestissues that line the inside or that line the inside or cover the outside of cover the outside of internal organs. internal organs.

• Sarcoma – Sarcoma – A cancer of connective or A cancer of connective or supportive tissue. These types of supportive tissue. These types of tissue include tissue include bone, cartilage, fat, bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, and muscle, and blood vessels.blood vessels.

• Lymphoma –Lymphoma – solid tumors that solid tumors that grow in grow in

tissues that form tissues that form bloodblood (can (can cause leukemia uncontrolled cause leukemia uncontrolled WBC production).WBC production).

• Stem Cell Therapy – Stem Cell Therapy – experimental – such as replacement of bone marrow stem cells

• Genetic Therapy – Genetic Therapy – replace faulty tumor suppressor genes OR Genetic Genetic screening - screening - Identify which medicines work best on specific cancer cells based on receptors etc.

Cancer

Treatments

Cancer TreatmentsCancer Treatments• Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy – chemicals

used to kill cancer cells or make them less active

• Radiation therapy– Radiation therapy– using ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

• Surgery – Surgery – remove tumors and cancerous tissue