Cancer

1. Cancer “Mitosis Gone Wild”

2. What is Cancer? • Uncontrolled cellular division of abnormal cells • Caused by the genetic code in the cell’s DNA • Crowds out the healthy cells and can start to spread to other parts of the body – METASTASIZE • Hundreds of different varieties

3. Cancer Cell Growth • Occurs in any part of an animal or plant where cells aregrowing and dividing • CONTACT INHIBITION • Normal cells form one layer. • Replication or cell division stops upon contact with neighboring cells • Cancer cells DO NOT have contact inhibition, so they “pile up” on each other forming tumors or “clumped cells”

4. BENIGN No serious health problems Grow slowly Non-invasive Are NOT carried by blood Easily removable NOT considered Cancer MALIGNANT Very serious health problems Rapid growth Invasive – pushes into surrounding normal tissue Can be carried by blood or lymph to other areas of the body = METASTASIS Not as easy to remove Cancer! Tumors

5. What causes cancer? • Everyone has pre-cancerous cells • Continual irritation of these pre-cancerous cells triggers the development of cancer • More than 80% of cancers are caused by exposure to CARCINOGENS (substances that promote the development of cancer) • Chemicals • Radiation (x-rays, UV light) • Viruses (herpes simplex 1 & 2 linked to cervical cancer)

6. Stages of Cancer • Describes how far cancer has spread • Stage I – small, localized, usually curable • Stage II – larger tumor, lymph may be affected • Stage III – even larger tumor, lymph affected • Stage IV – usually inoperable, metastasis

7. Stages of Cancer - TNM • TNM Staging – more precise system • T = Tumor (T0-T4 depends on size, invasiveness) • N = Nodes (N0-N4 indicates lymph involvement) • M = Metastasis (M0 or M1) • Examples: T1N1M0 T3N4M1

8. Types of Cancer • Carcinomas – epithelial cells (skin or tissue lining) *Most cancers – breast, stomach, lung, prostate, colon • Melanoma – pigment producing cells (moles) • Lymphomas – lymphatic tissue • Sarcoma – bone, muscle, fat, connective tissue *Rare (~2% of cancers) • Leukemia – blood/bone marrow

9. Skin Cancer – Melanoma

10. Treatments • Surgery – removal of a localized tumor • Number 1 option • Can stop cancer from spreading • Usually followed by radiation or chemotherapy • Radiation – damages cancer cells (but also damages surrounding healthy cells) • Chemotherapy – strong doses of chemicals are used to kill cancerous cells • Given orally or through injections

11. Treatments • Immunotherapy • Kill cancer cells by using chemicals such as interferon (naturally occurring in our body) to help stimulate our immune system to fight • Vaccine – also used to stimulate immune system

12. Treatments • Hormone Treatment • Reduces the amount of hormones produced in the body which can decrease the rate at which cancer can spread (breast, prostate, uterine) • Bone Marrow Transplant • Replace bone marrow to begin new production of red blood cells • Alternative • Diet • Acupuncture (for minimizing pain, post operative swelling, vomiting from chemo) • Hyperthermia – heat to destroy cancer cells

13. Prevention of Cancer • Major Risk Factors • Smoking Tobacco • 1/3 of ALL cancer deaths in US caused by tobacco smoke • UV exposure • Diet & Lack of Exercise • overconsumption of alcohol, fat, and foods that have been smoked, cured, pickled, or charred • Lack of dietary fiber or antioxidant vitamins and minerals • Radiation (x-rays, radioactive substances) • CARCINOGENS – chemicals that increase cancer risk (asbestos, uranium, radon, cadmium)

14. Are you at risk? • Everyone's cancer risk profile is complex and unique – genetics, environment, and lifestyle choices all factor in to your chance of developing cancer!