|
Cancer (medical term: malignant neoplasm) is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth (division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood). These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, and do not invade or metastasize. Most cancers form a tumor but some, like leukemia, do not. The branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer is oncology. Cancer may affect people at all ages, even fetuses, but the risk for most varieties increases with age. Cancer causes about 13% of all human deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, 7.6 million people died from cancer in the world during 2007. Cancers can affect all animals. Nearly all cancers are caused by abnormalities in the genetic material of the transformed cells. These abnormalities may be due to the effects of carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or infectious agents. Other cancer-promoting genetic abnormalities may be randomly acquired through errors in DNA replication, or are inherited, and thus present in all cells from birth. The heritability of cancers is usually affected by complex interactions between carcinogens and the host's genome. New aspects of the genetics of cancer pathogenesis, such as DNA methylation, and microRNAs are increasingly recognized as important. Genetic abnormalities found in cancer typically affect two general classes of genes. Cancer-promoting oncogenes are typically activated in cancer cells, giving those cells new properties, such as hyperactive growth and division, protection against programmed cell death, loss of respect for normal tissue boundaries, and the ability to become established in diverse tissue environments. Tumor suppressor genes are then inactivated in cancer cells, resulting in the loss of normal functions in those cells, such as accurate DNA replication, control over the cell cycle, orientation and adhesion within tissues, and interaction with protective cells of the immune system. Diagnosis usually requires the histologic examination of a tissue biopsy specimen by a pathologist, although the initial indication of malignancy can be symptoms or radiographic imaging abnormalities. Most cancers can be treated and some cured, depending on the specific type, location, and stage. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As research develops, treatments are becoming more specific for different varieties of cancer. There has been significant progress in the development of targeted therapy drugs that act specifically on detectable molecular abnormalities in certain tumors, and which minimize damage to normal cells. The prognosis of cancer patients is most influenced by the type of cancer, as well as the stage, or extent of the disease. In addition, histologic grading and the presence of specific molecular markers can also be useful in establishing prognosis, as well as in determining individual treatments. From Wikipedia under the
GNU Free Documentation License What is the difference between metastasized brain cancer and cancer that started in the brain? Q. My mother had lung cancer a year ago and although it has not returned, she now has a tumor in her brain the size of a dime. It is cancerous ... so what is the prognosis and what is the difference between this type of brain cancer (where it originated in the lungs) and brain cancer that originiates in the brain. Also, what is the prognosis? Asked by Blue Bear - Wed Jun 18 09:46:16 2008 - - 5 Answers - 0 Comments A. Cancer originating in a particular organ for the first time is called Primary neoplasm. Metastasis is its secondary spread through blood or lymph. Prognosis really depends on histological type of the cancer but metastasis generally requires more aggressive treatment in the form of chemo & radio because it is wide-spread. My best wishes are with your mother and you as her family in the battle against this cancer. Answered by ranishwaura_md - Wed Jun 18 09:54:50 2008 What is the risk to cancer (oncology) nurses from working with dangerous chemotherapy drugs? Q. What is the risk to nurses working in the cancer field (oncology) due to their proximity to cancer causing drugs and radiation and chemotherapy? I am hearing stories of many oncology nurses loosing their hair? Asked by Canberra202 - Sun Jan 11 00:47:48 2009 - - 5 Answers - 0 Comments A. Yes, proper precautions are very important among the exposed health personnel as anti-neoplastic agents and radiation are known occupational hazards. The following health effects have been reported in hospital workers exposed to antineoplastic agents: diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, skin rashes, hair loss, adverse reproductive effects such as disruption of menstrual cycle, fetal loss, and birth defects, etc. Answered by SZO - Tue Jan 13 20:36:15 2009 Cancer in an animals meat, when it is cooked and you eat it, does it taste the same or diffferent?
Q. After you eat the cancer, does your body digest it and make more cancer out of the molicules? Asked by John L - Sat Sep 15 10:07:49 2007 - - 8 Answers - 0 Comments A. Tumors, growths are usually cut out when you butcher. You can see growths in the raw meat. It is one of the things you don't eat. It does taste different. It does have a different texture, different color. It is gross. Answered by david m - Sat Sep 15 10:36:40 2007 From Yahoo Answer Search: "Cancer"
See also:
 news.google.com United Press International 8 (UPI) -- German medical scientists say they have determined narrow-band imaging bronchoscopies increase the specificity of bronchoscopic early lung cancer ... and more » news.google.com Waukegan News Sun "In 1990, most of the prostate cancers were advanced cases," said Dr. Brian Moran of the Chicago Prostate Center in Westmont, which will be offering free ... news.google.com News & Observer John Boggess and John Soper, two cancer surgeons at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, have created a medical record of a ... and more » From Google News Search: "Cancer"  toddman.com 524px x 700px | 58.00kB [source page] cancer relay for life 026 jpg  mer-littoral.org 400px x 600px | 70.90kB [source page] Cancer pagurus Wilfried Bay Nouailhat From Yahoo Image Search: "Cancer"  leahfraser.wordpress.com Leah Fraser ue, 08 Sep 2009 11:15:33 GM Today, I'm publishing an article by our latest guest blogger Philly Morris the Wirral resident behind the checkemlads testicular . cancer. website. Testicular . cancer. , like prostate . cancer. , is treatable if spotted early enough and, ...  tomhavel.com tomhavel Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:32:50 GM That's how many cases of . cancer. are diagnosed each year worldwide. Let's look at this number: 15 million. That is how many . cancer. cases, estimates of the World Health Organization will be diagnosed in 2020 - an increase of 50 percent ...  healthjackal.com Staff ue, 08 Sep 2009 18:46:29 GM Recent studies have revealed that prostrate . cancer. may be linked to a virus. It has been suspected that the virus, known as xenotropic murine leukemia. From Google Blog Search: "Cancer" |
Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Molecular Pathology Laboratory
Cancer.Gov
CancerQuest
