Different types of cancer

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In cellular model systems, cells are exposed to carcinogenic influences (chemicals, radiation). In these systems, the first signs of a cell developing into a tumor cell are:

Immortality. The usual number of cell divisions for a mammalian cell is 50-60 (cell senescence), then it ceases to divide. Tumor cells keep dividing forever.
Altered morphology.
Building of cellular clusters (Foci).
Loss of contact inhibition.
Low or no need for growth factors.

Items 2-4 (above) can sometimes be traced to mutations in genes that result in a disruption of cell adhesion. Some cell adhesion proteins are oncogenes.

A cell that degenerates into a tumor cell does usually not acquire all these properties at once, but its daughter cells are selected to build them. This process is called cellular evolution. A first step in the development of a tumor cell is usually a small change in the DNA, often a point mutation, which leads, among other things, to a genetic instability of the cell. The instability increases to a point where the cell loses whole chromosomes, or has double ones. Also, the DNA methylation pattern of the cell changes, activating and deactivating genes more or less at random. Cells that divide at a high rate, such as stem cells, show a higher risk of becoming tumor cells than those which divide less or not at all, for example neurons. If the initial tumor cell (or group of tumor cells) is not removed by the immune system, it will develop into cancer.

The field of medicine concerned with the treatment of cancer is oncology. Cancer has become an important problem with the rise in life expectancy, as the abovementioned mutations become more likely the longer a person lives. Though great progress in treatment has been made, most cancers in advanced stages remain incurable and ultimately fatal.

CancerBACUP
Information and support from this UK organization which addresses many of the types of tumors. Includes access to online booklets and other resources.
Cancer Advice UK
Advice and information about diagnosis and treatment issues. Includes leaflets, book suggestions, links and support groups.
Nexcura: Cancer Facts
Provides current information and access to a clinical trials profiler.
WebMD Health: Cancer
Consumer health site which includes information for the newly diagnosed, as well as for those coping with chemotherapy.
Wikicities: Cancer
An open-publishing wiki portal for those interested in this topic. Available for viewing or editing.

Different types of cancer