Cancer
What is cancer?
Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell division and the
ability of these cells to invade other tissues either by direct growth into
adjacent tissue or by migration of cells to distant sites. This unregulated
growth is caused by a series of acquired or inherited mutations to DNA
within cells, damaging genetic information that define the cell functions
and removing normal control of cell division.
It is one of the most dreaded diseases of human beings and is a major
cause of death all over the globe. More than a million Indians suffer
from cancer and a large number of them die from it annually. The
mechanisms that underlie development of cancer or oncogenic
transformation of cells, its treatment and control have been some of the
most intense areas of research in biology and medicine.
In our body, cell growth and differentiation is highly controlled and
regulated. In cancer cells, there is breakdown of these regulatory
mechanisms. Normal cells show a property called contact inhibition
by virtue of which contact with other cells inhibits their uncontrolled
growth. Cancer cells appears to have lost this property. As a result of
this, cancerous cells just continue to divide giving rise to masses of
cells called tumors.
Types of Tumor
A tumor is classified into one of these three types based on its ability to
undergo metastasis (spreading):
Benign Tumor
These tumors are localized at a particular location in the body.
Moreover, it does not spread to the other parts of the body and is
generally harmless. However, when a benign tumor occurs in areas
such as the brain, it can turn fatal. Treatment often involves surgery
and it does not grow back.
Malignant Tumor
These tumors are cancerous - meaning that they will grow quickly and
spread to other normal tissues of the body. This ability to spread is
called metastasis. Usually, cancer cells metastasize when it gets into
the bloodstream or the lymph nodes and form secondary tumors across
various sites in the body.
Difference between normal cell and cancer
cell
Normal cell Cancer cell
Types of Cancer
There are more than a hundred different types of cancer that are
characterized by abnormal cell growth. Listed here are a few types of
cancer:
• Carcinomas
They are malignant growths of the epithelial (ectodermal) tissue that
cover or line the body organs.
E.g., Skin cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, cancer of the stomach
and pancreas.
• Sarcomas
They are malignant growths arising in tissues derived from primitive
mesoderm.
E.g. Bone tumors, cancer of lymph nodes.
• Leukemias
These results from unchecked proliferation of cell types present in
blood and their precursors in the bone marrow. WBC is abnormally
increased.
Other Types of Cancers are:
• Melanoma - Cancer of pigment cells of the skin
• Adenoma - Cancer of glands
• Lymphoma - Cancer of lymphatic tissue
• Glioma - Cancer of glial cells of CNS
Symptoms of Cancer
Cancer can be identified by a variety of symptoms. In some cases,
symptoms could vary or may not show any signs and symptoms. There
are a few general symptoms:
- Irregular loss of weight
- Recurrent fever
- Continuous pain in a certain area
- Fatigue
- Irregular changes in the skin (pigmentation, unusual hair
growth, red or yellow skin, blotches etc.)
- Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin
- Changes in bowel or bladder habits.
Apart from these, women should watch out for certain symptoms of the
cancers that are unique to them:
- Change in the shape or color of the breast
- Bleeding out of the cycle period
- Bloating
- Blood in stool
Causes of Cancer
A carcinogen is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing
cancer. Carcinogens may occur naturally in the environment or may be
generated by humans. Most carcinogens work by interacting with a
cell’s DNA to produce mutations. It's important to identify items that
might be carcinogenic because we can then take specific measures to
avoid or limit our exposure to them.
Agents causing cancer
Transformation of normal cells into cancerous, neoplastic cells may be
induced by physical, chemical and biological agents.
- Physical Agents: example- x-rays and gamma rays and non-
ionizing radiations like UV rays
- Chemical Agents: example- drugs, alcohol, tobacco, smoke,
plastic, tar, etc.
- Biological agents: Cancer causing viruses called oncogenic
viruses. They have genes called viral oncogenes. Genes are
called cellular oncogenes or proto-oncogenes have been
identified in normal cell.
Detection and Diagnosis
Cancer screening
Diagnosing cancer at its earliest stages often provides the best chance
for a cure. With this in mind, talk with your doctor about what types of
cancer screening may be appropriate for you
For a few cancers, studies show that screening tests can save lives by
diagnosing cancer early.
Cancer diagnosis
Your doctor may use one or more approaches to diagnose cancer:
• Physical exam - Your doctor may feel areas of your body for
lumps that may indicate cancer. During a physical exam, your
doctor may look for abnormalities, such as changes in skin color
or enlargement of an organ, that may indicate the presence of
cancer.
• Laboratory tests - Laboratory tests, such as urine and blood
tests, may help your doctor identify abnormalities that can be
caused by cancer. For instance, in people with leukemia, a
common blood test called complete blood count may reveal an
unusual number or type of white blood cells.
• Imaging tests - Imaging tests allow your doctor to examine your
bones and internal organs in a noninvasive way. Imaging tests
used in diagnosing cancer may include a computerized
tomography (CT) scan, bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, ultrasound and
X-ray, among others.
• Biopsy - During a biopsy, your doctor collects a sample of cells
for testing in the laboratory. There are several ways of collecting a
sample. Which biopsy procedure is right for you depends on your
type of cancer and its location. In most situations, a biopsy is the
only way to definitively diagnose cancer, In the laboratory, doctors
look at cell samples under the microscope. Normal cells look
uniform, with similar sizes and orderly organization Cancer cells
look less orderly, with varying sizes and without apparent
organization
MRI Biopsy
• Antibody against cancer specific antigens are also used for
detection of certain cancers.
• Techniques of molecular biology can be used to detect genes in
individuals with inherited susceptibility for certain cancers.
Treatment
Many cancer treatments are available. Your treatment options will
depend on several factors, such as the type and stage of your cancer,
your general health, and your preferences. Together you and your
doctor can weigh the benefits and risks of each cancer treatment to
determine which is best for you.
• Surgery - Generally a tumor is surgically removed wherever
possible.
• Radiotherapy/Radiation
therapy - Tumor cells are
irradiated lethally by gamma
radiations taking proper care of
the normal tissues surrounding
the tumor mass or neoplasm.
Example : (Use of 1 131 for
thyroid cancer)
• Chemotherapy - Chemotherapeutic drugs are used to kill
cancerous cell.
Specific for particular
tumor e.g. two
anticancer drugs
vincristine and
vinblastine.
Used in the treatment of
leukemia.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
▪ NCERT Textbook
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