Cancer

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Cancer Objectives

List the steps required for a “normal” cell to become a cancer cell.
Explain the difference between a benign and malignant tumor and provide examples.
Describe the body’s natural defenses against cancer and different possible cancer treatments.

Cancer in the simplest sense is an increase in cell division, and a decrease in cell death. From the first guide, cells had different life stages. One cell dividing to produce two identical cells is the process of ___. Programmed cell death is called ___.

A group of cancer cells is called a t____. This mass of cells can be b____, meaning the cells stay in their original location. However in m_____ cancers, the cells can move or metastasize away from their original location.

Cancer cells can metastasize through ___ vessels and/or ___ vessels that drain extracellular fluid.

With a cancer diagnosis comes information on the stage of tumor development.

Reproductive Cancers

Often media focus is on cancers shared by all humans like skin or colorectal cancer. Cancers can also occur in specific reproductive systems and require monitoring for potential early detection.

Cervical cancer, and to a limited degree ovarian cancer, can sometimes be detected with a Pap Smear. These cancers have few symptoms early on, so detection screening is critical. If you are interested in additional information about the Pap test, please visit this link to the Mayo Clinic.

All adults have breast tissue and can develop breast cancer, but the disease is much more common in women due to tissue and hormonal differences.

All women should be performing monthly breast self-exams. Although breast cancer in older women is more common and also screened with mammograms; the rarer cancers in young women can be fast-growing and dangerous as a result. If you are interested in learning about breast self-exams, please visit this link to the John Hopkins Breast Center.

Testicular cancer is not common, but it primarily occurs in men between the ages of 15 and 35.

All men should be performing monthly testicular self-exams. Men are less likely to receive yearly physicals, and early onset cancers can go undetected. If you are interested in learning about testicular self-exams, please visit this link to the American Cancer Society.

Cancer cells repeatedly undergo mitosis and have altered structures and functions. Microscopic analysis can show an abnormal number of cells with unusual shapes and behaviors.

Sometimes the difference between “normal” tissue and cancerous tissue is distinct as you can see in the dermis of this individual.

In a biopsy specimen, pathologists are looking for cancer cells within healthy tissue, as seen within this slide of human small intestine.

Our body does have natural defenses against cancer cells. Cells have tumor suppressor genes that limit their ability to become cancerous. If these genes mutate, white blood cells in the body can kill cancer cells.

In this image, lymphocytes are attacking a cancer cell (yellow).

A type of lymphocyte called a “natural killer cell” can release enzymes to destroy cancer cells. Monocytes can release a chemical called “tumor necrosis factor” that launches an inflammation response against the cancer cells.

Often people are frustrated that there are not more options after receiving a cancer diagnosis. This video provides a perspective on why understanding and treating cancer is challenging.

The next section explores how hormones and blood sugar relate to diabetes.

Check your knowledge. Can you:

list the steps required for a “normal” cell to become a cancer cell?
explain the difference between a benign and malignant tumor and provide examples?
describe the body’s natural defenses against cancer and different possible cancer treatments?