Cancer-a killer

AIDS and Cancer are perhaps the most dreaded diseases of mankind today. Despite a number of researches they continue to baffle like a mystery unsolved. In this modern era where Nations are debating and spending millions on the unimportant and unnecessary nuclear weapons, a significant breakthrough against these diseases are yet to be achieved. We all are still waiting and hoping for the day when a vaccine or cure to eliminate these diseases to a 100% would be discovered. In the next few articles I will be writing about the causes, microbes, recent discoveries and consequences of Cancer, which I have compiled through books, and Internet.

What is Cancer?

We all know the organs of our body are made up of tissues, which in turn are made up of a number of cells. Normally, cells divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep us healthy.

The problem begins when cells become abnormal and start dividing and forming more and more cells without any purpose. These cells just divide without any control or order. If cells keep dividing without any need of new cells, a mass of tissue forms. This mass of extra tissue is called a growth or tumor. This tumor can be benign or malignant.

The malignant tumors are the ones declared by doctors as the fearful Cancer. The scariest part of these cancer cells is their ability to invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. These cancer cells can also break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system of the body. Thus, now the cancer spreads from the original tumor to form new tumors in other parts of the body. This primary tumor that spreads to infect other parts of the body forming secondary tumor is called metastasis.

Difference between a normal cell and a cancer cell-

Normal cell-

• Reproduce exactly like they should and stop reproducing at the right time,following body signal system.
• Self-destruct immediately if they get damaged and die if they accidentally travel to other parts of the body.
• Cells stick together in the right place due to certain molecules present on the surface.
• Specialise or undergo maturation once they grow with time.

Cancer cell-

• They carry on reproducing without stopping.Overrides normal signal system.
• Unable to self-destruct or self-destruct very slowly. Thus the number of cells keep increasing.
  Do not die if they move to another part of the body.
• Lose their surface molecules and are unable to stick together, thus get detached from their neighboring cells and move to other parts of the body.
• Becomes even less mature with time thus losing more of the genetic information.

Ref : (click here)

Grading the cancer-

The doctor can study the maturity or differentiation of the cells and tell the grade of Cancer. This means if a cancer cell is less developed or less differentiated the grade of the cancer is higher. Cells can be well differentiated, moderately differentiated, or poorly differentiated. Hence a grade 1 cancer has more mature cells than grade 2,3 or 4.

Coming up next will be the causes of cancer and its microbes. If you are interested in contributing please email me your article in not more than 1000 words.