Cancer Flashcards
How is cancer caused?
Uncontrolled cell growth and division. This is a result of changes that occur to the cells and results in the formation of a tumour (a mass of cells). Not all tumours are cancerous - only malignant.
What can tumours be?
Benign or malignant (cancers).
- Benign - where the tumour grows until there’s no more room. The tumour stays in one place (usually within a membrane) rather than invading other tissues in the body. This type isn’t normally dangerous, and the tumour isn’t cancerous.
- Malignant - where the tumour grows and spreads to neighbouring healthy tissues. Cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body by travelling in the bloodstream. The malignant cells then invade healthy tissues elsewhere in the body and form secondary tumours. Malignant tumours are dangerous and can be fatal - they are cancers.
Do risk factors mean you’ll definitely get cancer?
No, and anyone can develop cancer. Risk factors just mean you’re at an increased risk of developing the disease. Cancer survival rates have increased due to medical advances such as improved treatment, being able to diagnose cancer earlier and increased screening for the disease.
Give some examples of lifestyle risk factors for various types of cancer.
- Smoking - Linked to lung cancer, but research has also linked it to other types of cancer too, including mouth, bowel, stomach, and cervical cancer.
- Obesity - Linked to many different cancers, including bowel, liver and kidney cancer. It’s second biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking.
- UV exposure - from the sun, have an increased chance of developing skin cancer. People who live in sunny climates and people who spend a lot of time outside are at higher risk of developing skin cancer.
- Viral infection - Infection with some viruses, e.g. Infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses can increase the risk of developing liver cancer. Likelihood of becoming infected with these viruses sometimes depends on lifestyle - e.g. can be spread between people through unprotected sex or sharing needles.
How can you inherit faulty genes that make you more susceptible to cancer?
E.g, mutations (changes) in the BRCA genes have been linked to an increase likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
