Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

2. CANCER • Cells can lose control of cell division & growth or cell death • If they grow unchecked, they form tumours

3. TUMOURS • Tumours are groups of cells • can be benign or malignant • Benign tumours divide for a period then stop. They can be removed by surgical or laser methods • Malignant tumours never stop dividing, they cause angiogenesis (blood vessels grow into them). This provides them food and oxygen to allow them to keep growing. It also allows the cancer to spread.

4. CANCER • Cancers begin as a primary tumour. However, cells break away from the primary tumour and - travelling in blood and lymph - establish metastases in other locations of the body. • Many tumours is more difficult to target treatment then a single tumour.

5. Cancer Statistics

6. Scottish Statistics

7. Cancers follow fromfaulty (mutated) genes • Faulty genes can be inherited • Exposure to agents which damage DNA increase the chances of a mutation occurring e.g • Chemicals e.g. cigarette smoke • Radiation e.g UV, Xray, Gamma rays • In addition, damage to repair and checking systems will increase the chances of cancer

8. CAUSES OF CANCER • The development of cancer is associated with a variety of risk factors • Tobacco • Sunlight (UV irradiation) • Body weight • Physical activity • Diet • Hormones • Occupations • Infections

9. Tobacco

10. Sunlight Exposure

11. Diet

12. Body Weight

13. Physical Activity

14. Hormones

15. Occupation

16. Infection

17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8102621.stm • “In fact, scientists estimate about a third of the most common cancers could be prevented if people ate healthily, maintained a healthy weight and were regularly physically active “

18. 2 sets of genes control cell division: Proliferation genes (proto- oncogenes) speed it up Tumour suppressor (anti-proliferation) genes slow it down Cancer, uncontrolled cell division, can result from too much speeding or too little slowing.

19. GENE MUTATIONS • When proto-oncogenes become mutated they are called ONCOGENES. • An oncogene is similar to its non-mutated counterpart, but it is more active or produced in an unregulated way. • ONCOGENES STIMULATE CELL DIVISION • Extension material

20. TUMOUR SUPPRESSOR GENES & CANCER • Tumour suppressor genes (antiproliferation genes) suppress cell division • They can also become mutated • Causing uncontrolled cell division Animation

21. GENETICS OF CANCER • Cancers due to oncogenes only require mutation in one copy of the gene (the mutated version has dominance heterozygotes get cancer). • Cancers due to antiproliferation gene mutation require mutation in both copies (the mutated versions are recessive homozygotes get cancer).

22. CANCER TREATMENTS • Surgery physical removal of cancer cells • Radiotherapy damages DNA, killing cell • Chemotherapy often inhibit aspects of cell cycle, killing cell. Rapidly dividing cells are more severely affected than slow dividing cells, so cancerous cells can be killed whilst limiting damage to less rapidly dividing cells (side effects)

23. PACLITAXEL blocks a cell's ability to break down the mitotic spindle during mitosis

24. COLCHICINE • Inhibits the development of spindles as the nuclei are dividing.

25. VINBLASTINE • bind to tubulin, thus preventing the cell from making the spindles

26. Web Sites • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?call=bv.View..ShowSection&rid=gnd.section.99 • http://www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/N100/2k4ch8mitosisnotes.html • http://www.cancerquest.org