SUMMARY FOR CANCER CELLS

CANCER- refers to a disease, characterized by uncontrolled and abnormal cell division.

ABNORMAL CELL VS. NORMAL CELL

NORMAL CELLS- Cells that grows, divide normally and undergo programmed cell death when they are
old or damage (APOPTOSIS).

Other characteristics:

Large Cytoplasm

- Single Nucleos

- Single Nucleolus

- Fine Chromantin

 Normal cells grow and divide in a controlled way

 Normal cells differentiate to perform specific functions

 Respond to signals that regulate growth and death.

 Undergo programmed cell death when damaged or old.

 Stay in their designated tissue.

-serve as a base for the body's tissues, organs, and systems, ensuring their proper function. They use
external signals to control growth, go through programmed cell death/APOPTOSIS, and maintain
selective attachments that gradually adjust to keep them in their desired location.

-Normal cells follow a typical cycle: they grow, divide and die.

CANCER CELLS- cells that grows uncontrollably, multiply out of control until a tumor is formed and
spread to blood stream, lymphatic system and other parts of body (METASTASIS)

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS:

Small Cytoplasm

-Multiple Nuclei

- Multiple and Large Nucleoii

- Coarse Chromantin

 Cancer cells divide uncontrollably, forming tumors.

 Cancer cells often lose this specialization and may not function properly.

 Often ignore these signals, allowing them to survive and proliferate.

 Often envade this process, allowing them to survive longer than they should.
  Can invade surrounding tissues and spread to other parts of the body (metastasis).

NOTE: cancer cells originate from normal cells with defective genes/genetic errors/genetic mutation.

WHAT CAUSES CANCER CELLS?

Genetic Mutation – A genetic mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence of an organism's
cells that alters the information cells need to function. Mutations can be caused by errors in cell division,
exposure to environmental agents, or viral infections.

Cancer cells develop when normal cells undergo genetic mutations that affect their growth and division.
These mutations can be caused by factors such as:

Inherited - some people are born with genetic mutations that increase their cancer risk. These are
passed down from parents and make a person more vulnerable to developing certain cancers.

Aging: Genes can wear out over time, leading to mutations.

Environmental damage: Exposure to harmful substances in the environment, such as chemicals in

tobacco smoke, alcohol, or ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, can damage DNA and cause
mutations.

Lifestyle factors: Poor nutrition, being inactive, and obesity can increase the risk of some cancers.

PROTO-ONCOGENES VS. ONCOGENES

PROTO-ONCOGENES- Normal genes that may mutate or change and become oncogenes.

-drive the cell cycle, which is the process cells go through before they can divide. Proto-oncogenes also
control how fast cells grow, when cells divide and when cells die (apoptosis).
-When a proto-oncogene mutates and becomes an oncogene, the gene never stops sending signals
telling cells to grow and divide. Cells respond by multiplying faster than usual, eventually creating
tumors.

ONCOGENES- mutated genes

How do proto-oncogenes mutate?

Proto-oncogenes mutate in three different ways:

 Point mutation. You have trillions of cells in your body that constantly divide to make new cells.
When cells divide to create new cells, they copy their DNA genome so the new cells have their
own distinct DNA. Sometimes, a change, addition or deletion happens in a single molecule in
cells’ DNA genome. Those changes cause proto-oncogenes to mutate.

 Gene amplification. This may happen while proto-oncogenes are replicating or making copies,
and they make too many copies.

 Chromosomal rearrangement. Sometimes, genes move to different chromosomes in a process

called translocation, which creates a new abnormal gene.

What triggers proto-oncogene mutation?

Medical researchers aren’t sure why proto-oncogenes become oncogenes, but they suspect exposure to
the following may play a role:

 X-rays.

 Sunlight.

 Toxins at work, in the air or in chemicals (for example, in tobacco smoke).

 Infectious agents (for example, certain viruses).

TUMOR/NEOPLASM- is a solid mass of tissue that forms when abnormal cells/cancer cells group
together creating an overgrowth.

-They can form most anywhere in your body, including your bones, skin, tissue, organs and glands.

-2 TYPES OF TUMOR:

1. BENIGN TUMOR- non-cancerous

-but they can sometimes cause health issues by pressing on nearby organs or tissues, they are typically
not life-threatening.

-can be cured when removed out of the body

-They grow slowly and usually do not spread to other parts of the body

Causes:

Environmental toxins, such as exposure to radiation

Genetics

Diet

Stress

Local trauma or injury

Inflammation or infection

Symptoms:

Depending on the location, possible

symptoms of a benign tumor include:

 chills

 discomfort or pain

 fatigue

 fever

 loss of appetite

 night sweats

 weight loss

EXAMPLE:

 Hemangiomas: a common benign tumors that grow from your blood vessels, appears as
birthmark/strawberry mark

 Lipomas: These are lumps of fatty tissue right under your skin.

 Fibroids- These connective tissue tumors can form in any organ, but are most common in the
uterus. Uterine fibroids can cause vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and urinary incontinence.

 Meningiomas-The most common type of brain tumor, meningiomas are usually benign and can
remain undetected for years. While they often don't cause problems, some may require
treatment

Treatments for Benign Tumor:

  Watch-and-wait: doctors may suggest a watch-and-wait approach for small,
non-symptomatic tumors, as treatment may be more risky than allowing the
tumor to remain.

 Medication: medicated gels or creams may reduce certain tumors like

hemangiomas, while steroids may shrink or reduce tumors causing pain or
pressure.

 Surgery: endoscopic techniques are commonly used for tumor surgery, utilizing
tube-like devices that require smaller incisions and less healing time.

 Radiation: If surgery can’t safely access the tumor, your doctor may prescribe
radiation therapy to help reduce its size or prevent it from growing larger.

2. MALIGNANT- Cancerous

 These are cancerous and can invade nearby tissues and organs.

 Malignant tumors grow more aggressively and can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the
body.

 They pose a more serious health risk and require treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy, or
radiation.

Causes:

We know that malignant neoplasms form when cells grow and divide faster than they
should. But experts don’t know why this happens in the first place. But there are
certain risk factors associated with malignant neoplasms, including:

 Smoking

 Genetics

 Obesity

 Excessive alcohol use

 Chemical toxins

 Excessive exposure to radiation

 Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays

Symptoms:

There are also general symptoms that people with cancerous tumors may experience, including:

 Fatigue

 Shortness of breath
  Anemia

 Diarrhea

 Weight loss

 Drenching night sweats

 Abnormal lumps or bumps

EXAMPLE:

LUNG CANCER

KIDNEY CANCER

SKIN CANCER

BREAST CANCER

Prostate cancer

Treatments for Malignant Tumor:

 Surgery: small, contained tumors may require surgical removal, involving the entire mass and
surrounding healthy tissue.

 Chemotherapy: a treatment method that destroys and prevents the proliferation of cancer cells,
used to treat both primary and metastatic cancer.

 Radiation therapy: the machine uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells, aiming at
different levels and can be repositioned post-surgery to eliminate remaining cells.

 Targeted therapy: the FDA has approved targeted therapies for over 15 types of cancer, targeting
proteins controlling cell growth, division, and spread.

Preventing Cancer:
 Don't smoke.

 Maintain a healthy weight

 Exercise regularly.

 Eat a healthy diet.

 Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.

 Protect yourself from the sun.

 Protect yourself from infections

 Get screening tests regularly.