What is cancer

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Cancers are capable of spreading through the body by two mechanisms: local invasion and distant metastasis. Invasion refers to the direct migration and penetration by cancer cells into neighboring tissues. Metastasis refers to the ability of cancer cells to penetrate into lymphatic and blood vessels, circulate through the bloodstream, and then invade normal tissues elsewhere in the body. Cancer is most deadly when it metastasizes.

For most of the cancers, it cannot be told which event was the initial cause. However, with molecular biology, it is possible to characterize the mutations within a tumor, and to a certain extent predict its behavior. For example, about half of the tumors are deficient in the tumor suppressor gene p53, also known as "the guardian of the genome". This is associated with poor prospects for the patient, since those tumor cells are unlikely to go into apoptosis (programmed cell death) after they are damaged by therapy. There are more mutations that make a tumor more malignant. Telomerase mutations enable a tumor cell to divide indefinitely. Other mutations enable the tumor to grow new blood vessels to feed it, or to detach from the surrounding tissue, spreading to other parts of the body.

Malignant tumors such as carcinoma or sarcoma, lymphoma or leukemia originate from a cell or a group of cells in a multicellular organism that has several distinct properties:

  • evading apoptosis
  • Unlimited Growth Potential
  • self-sufficiency of growth factors
  • insensitivity to anti-growth factors
  • increased cell division rate
  • altered differentiation (specialization) ability
  • no ability for contact inhibition
  • ability to invade neighbouring tissue
  • ability to build metastases
  • ability to promote blood vessel growth (angiogenesis)

  • The Cancer Letter
    Periodical which supplies news and current information about the state of research and treatment.
  • CancerExperts MD
    Physcians located in Boston offer second opinions and personalized case reviews. Provides an online ask-a-doctor service.
  • COX-2 Inhibitors: Cancer
    Information about these treatment agents which is based on an educational grant from the Pharmacia company.
  • Cancer Leadership Council
    A patient-centered forum of national advocacy organizations addressing public policy issues.
  • Cancer Dictionary & Acronyms
    Terminology and abbreviations presented in a searchable format.