Cancer

Question 1

Give me the definition of cancer

Answer 1

Cancer is the result of changes in cells that lead to uncontrolled cell growth and division.

Question 2

What does uncontrolled cell growth often lead to?

Answer 2

Uncontrolled cell growth and division can form tumours.

Question 3

There are two types of tumours. What are they?

Answer 3

Benign tumours and malignant tumours

Question 4

What are benign tumours? What are the characteristics of these tumours?

Answer 4

Benign means nice, and although you can’t have a nice tumour, this one is certainly better than the malignant option. Benign tumours are the result of the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. These tumours are very much concentrated in one place. They will not invade or interact with other parts of the body.

Question 5

What is a malignant tumour? What are the characteristics of this type of tumour?

Answer 5

Malignant tumours can also be classed as cancerous tumours. These are also the growth of abnormal cells, but get more out of control compared to benign tumours. This means that malignant tumours are more likely to invade neighbouring tissues.

Question 6

Malignant tumours can invade other tissues. How does this happen and how does it work?

Answer 6

Malignant tumours can infect neighbouring tissues, but they can also affect other places in the body far away from the primary tumour. They do this via the blood stream.

Question 7

How do malignant tumours spread? What are the two ways that it can get elsewhere?

Answer 7

They can invade to places far from the primary tumour via the blood stream. The cancerous cells will travel through the blood stream and situate somewhere else, forming a secondary tumour. It can also spread through contact. (Such as if a tissue with cancer was touching another tissue, it could spread to that tissue)

Question 8

What does it mean when people have cancer risk factors?

Answer 8

These people with the risk factors have a higher chance of developing cancer than other people might. Those with the higher risks may have something called a risk factor (something about them that increased the chance of cancer)

Question 9

Will people with cancerous risk factors get cancer?

Answer 9

Not necessarily. These risk factors may give you a higher risk of getting it compared to others who don’t have a risk factor, but they don’t guarantee you’ll get cancer. Risk has a chance if not happening.

Question 10

Why are cancer survival rates increasing?

Answer 10

Medical advancements have been taking place (such as early diagnosis, improved or early treatment and increased screening)

Question 11

What are the four main categories of cancerous risk factors?

Answer 11

Lifestyle, genetics, environment and viral disease or infection

Question 12

What type of cancers can develop through smoking?

Answer 12

Lung cancer directly, but it can link to other types of cancers such as bowel, cervical, stomach, and mouth cancers

Question 13

What is the biggest most preventable cause of cancer and which of the four main categories of risk factors does it belong to?

Answer 13

Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of cancer. It’s a lifestyle factor

Question 14

Give me three facts about obesity as a risk factor.

Answer 14

Obesity, the cause of many cancers, is to do with life style choices. It can trigger bowel, liver and kidney cancers. It’s the second most preventable cause of cancer.

Question 15

Give me three lesser known lifestyle choices that could link to cancers

Answer 15

Eating a bad diet can cause cancers (fried food, red meats, processed meat, high fat milk, etc.)
Stress and lack of physical inactivity can put you at risk for some cancers.
A larger intake of alcohol can put you at risk of getting some cancers as well

Question 16

Explain how your genetics can affect your risk of getting cancers (5)

Answer 16

Genetics control the characteristics and activates of your cells.

Genetics are passed down by generations.

So these genes are always morphing and changing into what can be a fault gene.

You could have gotten these from a parent who got it from a grandparent etc..

but having these faulty genetics can make you more susceptible to cancers

Question 17

What are the three sub-risk factors that come under the environment risk factor?

Answer 17

UV radiation
Exposure to radio activity
Environmental pollutants

Question 18

Who is at higher risk of getting skin cancers!

Answer 18

People who live in hot, sunny, always summer climates are more susceptible to cancer. People who use sun beds are also more susceptible to cancer

Question 19

How does viral infection and disease could increase your risk of getting cancers. Give an example of this happening. How does one even get a viral disease

Answer 19

Some viruses have been proven to give you an increased risk of developing diff. cancers. They do this by weakening the body and it’s immune system down, or by affecting a specific body part and causing later further infection to spread. An example of this is the viral disease hepatitis. Hepatitis B and C can cause an increase risk of liver cancer.
Getting these diseases can depend on your lifestyle. Hepatitis B and C can stem from unprotected sec and sharing needles

Question 20

What kind of cancer can be prevented if you eat lots of fibre in your diet?

Answer 20

Colorectal cancers (cancer near colon and rectum). It can also not prevent, but get rid of excess hormones that can lead to breast and prostate cancers. And it can reduce risk of twelve diff. types of cancer

Question 21

What changes could you make to your diet that will make you have a decreased change of cancer?

Answer 21

Ditch alcohol
Ditch high fat milk (increases change of breast + prostate cancer)
Swap out red and processed meat for healthier alternatives
You can swap out high fat milk for soy milk which has proven to decrease risk of breast cancer in women.
Make your diet more colorful

Question 22

What cancers do processed and red meat increase? How do we decrease this risk?

Answer 22

Colorectal cancer. You don’t need to ditch these meats, but lower your intake of them for sure. You could also increase your intake in fruits and vegetables

Question 23

How will making your diet more colorful help with risk of cancer? Give examples

Answer 23

Pigments that give food its color can help reduce risk of cancer. The more colorful your food, the more likely it is to contain cancer fighting compounds
E.g. beta carotene in sweet potato and lycopene in tomato.
E.g. cruciferous vegetables (kale, broccoli, cabbage) can help reduce colorectal cancers
E.g. carotenoid rich veggies (sweet potato and carrots) help reduce risk of breast cancers

Question 24

List five main lifestyle risk factors and how to fix them

Answer 24

Lack of exercise (stay active, go for walks, jogs)
Obesity (limit caloric intake)
Infection (go for vaccine and regular check ups)
Stress (take a break sometimes, relieve that stress)
Sun exposure (limit time you spend in the sun)