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Cancer Cells

This document discusses different types of cancer cells and how they differ from normal cells. It describes how cancer cells develop through mutations that cause uncontrolled growth and how they can invade other tissues and spread. The main types of cancer cells are carcinomas from epithelial cells, sarcomas from soft tissues, leukemias from blood/bone marrow, lymphomas from lymph tissue, and myelomas from plasma cells. Cancer cells differ from normal cells in that they continue growing, can invade other tissues, spread to other regions, and are immortal unlike normal cells which have defined lifespans and boundaries.

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7 views

Cancer Cells

This document discusses different types of cancer cells and how they differ from normal cells. It describes how cancer cells develop through mutations that cause uncontrolled growth and how they can invade other tissues and spread. The main types of cancer cells are carcinomas from epithelial cells, sarcomas from soft tissues, leukemias from blood/bone marrow, lymphomas from lymph tissue, and myelomas from plasma cells. Cancer cells differ from normal cells in that they continue growing, can invade other tissues, spread to other regions, and are immortal unlike normal cells which have defined lifespans and boundaries.

Uploaded by

prahashitha.s.2525
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cancer Cells

How They Start and How They Differ From Normal Cells

Cancer cells differ from normal cells in the body in many ways. Normal cells become cancerous
when a series of mutations (changes) leads the cells to continue to grow and divide out of control.

Unlike normal cells that remain in the region where they began, cancer cells have the ability to
both invade nearby tissues and spread to distant regions of the body.

This article discusses cancer cells. It explains how cancer cells develop and how they differ from
normal cells. It also explains why the body does not recognize and destroy cancer cells as it does
other "foreign" cells.

Types of Cancer Cells


There are as many types of cancer cells as there are types of cancer. Of the hundred-plus types of
cancer, most are named for the type of cancer cells in which the disease began.2
Carcinomas:
Carcinomas are cancers that arise in epithelial cells that line body cavities. The most common type of
cancer cells, carcinomas are named after the type of epithelial cells that mutated. These include:3
➢ Adenocarcinoma: Cancer that affects epithelial cells in glandular tissue, such as the breast, colon,
and prostate
➢ Basal cell carcinoma: Cancer that affects epithelial cells in the basal (lower) layer of the
epidermis (skin)
➢ Squamous cell carcinoma: Cancer that affects squamous epithelial cells, which are found just
beneath the outer surface of the skin and in the stomach, intestines, lungs, bladder, and kidneys
➢ Transitional cell carcinoma: Cancer that affects transitional epithelium (urothelium), which are
various-sized, multi-layered epithelial cells in the bladder, ureters, and kidneys
Sarcomas
Sarcomas are cancers that arise in bone, muscle, blood, fat, and other soft tissue cells known as
mesenchymal cells. Bone and soft tissue sarcomas include:3
➢ Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: A type of skin cancer
➢ Kaposi sarcoma: Cancer that forms in the skin, lymph nodes, internal organs, and mucous
membranes
➢ Leiomyosarcoma: Cancer that affects smooth muscle tissue
➢ Liposarcoma: Cancer that forms in fatty tissues
➢ Malignant fibrous histiocytoma: Cancer that can affect bone or soft tissue
➢ Osteosarcoma: A type of bone cancer
Leukemia
Leukemia cells and leukemic blast cells are abnormal white blood cells that form in bone marrow stem
cells, where blood cells are made. Unlike some other cancers, leukemia cells do not bind together to form
a tumor.
Instead, these abnormal white blood cells build up in the blood and bone marrow, crowding out healthy
blood cells. There are four types of leukemia:4
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
Lymphomas
Lymphomas are blood-related cancers that arise from lymphoid tissues in the lymphatic system, a part of
the immune system that runs throughout the body.
Lymphomas can develop in different types of white blood cells known as B-cells, T-cells, and NK cells.
They can begin anywhere in the body and feed on nutrients in the lymph fluid.5
There are two main forms of lymphoma:3
Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
Myelomas
Myelomas are a type of cancer cells that develop in plasma—white blood cells that produce antibodies.
They occur when a plasma cell becomes abnormal, then divides to replicate, forming myeloma cells.

Cancer Cells vs. Normal Cells

There are many important differences between cancer cells and normal cells:

Cancer Cell

• May keep growing


• May invade nearby tissues
• May spread to other regions of the body
• Can be immortal

Normal Cell

• Grows when needed


• Stays within tissue boundaries
• Sticks to nearby cells
• Has a defined lifespan

Mechanism of carcinogenesis

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