cancer

Question 1

development of metastatic cancer

Answer 1

1. DNA mutates (through a mis-copy or exposure to chemicals or radiation
2. cell becomes genetically altered
3. cell division occurs and a possibility of a second mutation
4. a third mutation may arise after some time (allowing for a faster growth of the tumor)
5. a fourth mutation arises (allowing for the development of an even more aggressive cancer)
6. the tumor breaks through the basement of the epithelial cells
7. angiogenesis takes place now as the tumor need to recruit blood vessels as a source of blood to continue growing
8. individual cells now enter the blood stream and move around the body (metastasis)
9. the cell now works out of the vessel to the wall and on towards tissue
10. the new cell repeats the same cycle

Question 2

treatments

Answer 2

regular screening
pap smear - cervical cancer
mammograms - breast cancer
colonoscopies - colon cancer

Original - Radiation - high amount of radiation is used to kill cells and shrink tumors
Original - chemotherapy - A drug used to kill cancer
Original - surgery - Cut the tumor out of your body (effective only for cancers in the body)
biological therapy - Many ways to treat such a vaccines and gene therapy
stem cell transplant - transplant of a stem cell (a cell capable of giving indefinitely more of the same type)

Question 3

What is cancer?

Answer 3

the uncontrolled division of a cell even though it is not needed