CANCER
Cancer is defined as group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and division of cells. The condition also includes spreading of abnormal cells to adjacent healthy sites of the body (1). If this condition is not controlled it could result in death. Abnormality in cell cycle regulation mechanisms, uncontrolled cell division, and invasiveness to the healthy tissues are the characteristic features of the cancer cells. Cells are the structural and functional units of all organisms. All the functions in the body are carried out by the cells in a well organized and regulated manner. When the cells deviate from their normal functioning and behave abnormally without any meaningful purpose in the body turn out into cancerous
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Different types of cancers behave differently based on the site of the origin. For example lung cancer behaves differently compared to the breast cancer. One important fact to be known is the characteristics of a cancer is based on its site of origin even it spreads to other tissues, for example metastatic breast cancer behaves like itself even it spreads into lungs. Cancer can be caused external factors such as tobacco intake, infectious organisms, and unhealthy life style. Internal factors such as inheritance, genetic mutations, and immune conditions. These factors may act alone, combine or sequence to cause cancer. Fig 1 Diagrammatic representation of cancer (2).
In United States, cancer is the second most leading cause of deaths next to cardiac diseases. One in every four deaths is accounted by the cancer. Nearly 1,658,370 new cases of cancer are expected in 2015. About 589,430 of Americans are expected to die of cancer in 2015 which equals to 1620 people per day. The five year survival rate for all cancers is 49 % between 1975-1977 which is increased to 68 % between 2004 to 2010 relatively a high percentage increase. The improvements in survival rate reflect improvements in diagnostic and treatment options.
PANCREATIC CANCER
Pancreas is a glandular organ located behind the stomach. When pancreatic glandular cells divide out of control and
The origin of cancer within a person could be a result of multiple variables. Cancer could simply be a malfunction within the body. All living things are composed of cells. Cells house the genetic makeup of a person: deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. The human body is composed of trillions of cells which constantly divide to replace old or damaged cells (“The Cells”). For cells to divide, enzymes within the cell must duplicate the DNA. Mistakes in copying genetic code are common. This division of cells usually occurs in a consistent and controllable manner as the cell has the ability to check its DNA for errors and self-destruct if an error is potentially harmful; however, not all mistakes are caught. If the mistake in the DNA is not noticed and taken care of, the cell can develop and begin to behave abnormally. It may gain the ability to stimulate its own growth and ignore signals to stop. When this happens, a cluster of abnormal
In just 2016, about 595,690 people in the United States will die because of cancer.
The CDC estimates that each year, more than eight million people are diagnosed, and consequently died from cancer, and this statistic was even higher in the 1950s. During this period, little was known of cancer’s effects on the
Cancer is characterized by unregulated/uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. The etiological factors of Cancer include both external factors (tobacco, infectious organisms, chemicals, and radiation) and inherent factors (inherited mutations, hormones, immune conditions, and mutations that occur from metabolism). The etiological factors may act together or in sequence to trigger the development of cancer. It may take several years for the manifestation of the disease to be obvious after the initial trigger.
“Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems (NCI, 2013).” Cancer is of many diseases. It originates from the organ in the body and/or from the part of the body that is affected, for example breast cancer. Breast cancer is mainly common among women, except for skin cancers. “Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast divide and grow without their normal control (Komen, 2014).” The
There are over 14 million cancer victims currently living in the United States. There are over 1,500,000 new cases of cancer that occur every year. Cancer is the number two cause of death in the United States just behind heart disease. There are over 500,000 cancer related deaths in the nation each year. Lung and bronchus cancer are the leading killers with over 150,000 deaths a year. Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer for males with over 220,000 cases a year. For females, breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer with over 230,000 cases a year. These statistics were pulled from www.cancer.org. Current trends suggest that these numbers may continue along their present rate but over time improved treatments will shift the
The American Cancer Society states that cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the spread is not controlled, it can result in death (10). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer is the second leading cause of death. In 2002 alone, half a million Americans will die of this disease. Of this numerical figure, it is estimated that perhaps more than 1,500 individuals a day will die. In addition, one of every four deaths in America is from cancer (9).
Cancer is the leading cause of death in economically developed countries and the second leading cause of death in developing countries. Based on the GLOBOCAN 2008 estimates, about 12.7 million cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths are estimated to have occurred in 2008. The leading cause of cancer mortality in females is breast cancer, accounting for 23% followed by lung cancer and cervical cancer accounting for 11% respectively. Furthermore, estimates show that, the leading cause of cancer mortality in males is lung cancer accounting for 17% of the total new cancer cases and 23% in total cancer deaths. [2].
Each day, hundreds of people find themselves face to face with the word “cancer.” There is an estimate of 4600 new cancer diagnosis each day. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the united states, and is a major health concern worldwide. However, over the past 3 decades the survival rate for all cancers has climbed over 20%.
When this checkpoint is passed, cdk4 and cyclin D interact. This interaction results in phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein, which in turn allows activation of the transcription factor E2F. Active E2F promotes expression of the cyclin E gene. Cyclin E (protein) and cdk 2 interact to
Many question, “What does the Cell cycle have to do with cancer?”The cell cycle is a process in which cells develop and go on to divide.The cell cycle lies in the metaphorical heart of cancer. The cell cycle is a series of pathways by which a cell is signaled and continues to grow, the cell the replicates and divides.The process also includes different additional systems to make sure any problems that occur are corrected.If the problems are not corrected the cells fail and “commit suicide” in other words,(apoptosis).The only thing is, after apoptosis happens, cancer begins, as a result of genetic cells changing, the process then malfunctions which then causes uncontrollable cell growth.
This year in the United States there will be an estimated 1,665,540 diagnosed cancer cases and 585,720 deaths due to the disease.1 Cancer ranks as the second most common cause of death in the US only behind heart disease. As cancer accounts for nearly a quarter of all deaths in the United States2, many people view the diagnosis of cancer as a death sentence. This feeling of hopelessness can lead patients to make questionable decisions regarding treatment options. While current advances have led to increasingly positive prognoses for those diagnosed with differing forms of cancer, the significant death rate among those same patients may deter cancer patients from seeking traditional therapies and treatments. What people often times do not realize is that most of these alternative forms of treatment that have not been proven to be effective may be more detrimental to patients’ health than the actual cancer itself. In order to fully understand the effectiveness of the treatments that a patient is going to receive, it is important to look not only the physiological effects of the treatments themselves, but also the effects of the disease.
Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world and its frequency continues to rise (Neal Megahan). Each year 12.7 million people discover they have cancer and 7.6 million people die from the disease (Neal Megahan). More than half of the people that discover they are diagnosed with cancer, eventually die from this disease. Cancer is a prevailing issue that needs to be further studied because of how it affects individuals psychologically, physically, and its impacts on daily life.
In the United States alone, there was an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer and an estimated of 595,690 people will die from the disease in 2016 ("Cancer Statistics”). Cancer is a very common aliment that affects men, women, children, and all races and ethnicities. There are many different types of cancers, and cancer research has been a focal point for many scientists. There are various treatments that a cancer patient to undergo. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immune therapy are among the most common ones. Each treatment works differently, and has different positive and negative side effects.