John Louis C.

Mariano 092614
Gr. 9 SRP

HONG KONG SCIENTISTS DIAGNOSED CANCER
STEM CELLS

Scientists from Hong Kong have identified cancer stem cells that
are responsible for the spread of colorectal cancer to other parts of the
organs of the body.
Cases of colorectal cancer in Hong Kong are rising rapidly. In 2008,
the city found more than 1,680 deaths, or 13.5 percent of all cancer
deaths.
It is said that this is the second most common cases of cancer
related deaths around the world.
However, Hong Kong University discovered that all cancer have a
small number of stem cells responsible for starting and maintaining
tumors.
They believe that this find can revolutionize the approach of cancer
treatment in the future.
Ronnie Poon Tung-Ping, a professor of surgery said If you just
target mature cancer cells, you are not targeting the roots of the disease.
What the industry needs to work on now is drugs that will target cancer
stem cells.
This research can also allow doctors to predict high risk patients
whose cancer can spread and is fatal; this process is known as
metastasis.
This is the first study where it actually shows that stem cells can
spread or to metastasize to another organ.