CANCER

SUBMITTED BY : ZAINAB FATIMA

WHAT IS CANCER?
Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in the world and it affects over 11 lakh people
every year in India alone. Worldwide, more than 10 million people succumb to this disease
every year. Let us explore what is cancer, the causes of cancer, symptoms, diagnosis, and
treatment of cancer.

In humans, cell differentiation and proliferation are highly manipulated and regularized
by the cell division mechanism. Uncontrolled cell division occurs when a process called
contact inhibition fails. In healthy organisms, during this process, when cells come in
contact with other cells, the process of cell replication ceases.

As a result, contact inhibition becomes a powerful anti-cancer mechanism, but it is lost in

cancer cells. Hence, most types of cancer have tumours (except for cancers of the blood).
CANCER CELLS
Unlike healthy cells, cancer cells don't carry on maturing or become so specialised. Cells mature so that they
are able to carry out their function in the body. This process of maturing is called differentiation. In cancer,
the cells often reproduce very quickly and don't have a chance to mature.

Cancer is defined as uncontrolled cell division. The characteristics of a cancerous cell are:

1) Uncontrolled potential to divide.

2) Metastasis means they can migrate and spread to other organs and tissues by travelling through the
bloodstream.

3) Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from existing blood vessels to meet their high oxygen
demand.
DEVELOPMENT OF CANCER
It is our body’s genes that control the process of multiplication of cells and, at large, the
functioning of the cells in our body. Hence, it is worth noting that cancer is a genetic disease.

The genetic reasons that can cause the development of cancer in our bodies are:

● In the case of an error during the process of division of cells

● Overexposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays and inhaling tobacco while smoking can

cause alterations and damage to our DNA, which can further lead to the development

of cancer

● In most cases, the disease of cancer is genetically inherited by our parents

Metastasis: Metastasis is the process in which cancer spreads from one part of
the body to another. It is known as metastatic cancer.

The metastatic cancer cells have the same combination of chromosomes as the
primary cancer cells, and hence, when observed from a microscope, they appear
to be the same as the primary cancer cells. In most cases, the longevity of the life
of a person in the stage of metastatic cancer can be improved by controlling the
growth of metastasis.
SIGNS OF CANCER
Some of the general cancer symptoms observed in individuals are as follows:

● One of the major symptoms of cancer is feeling drowsy or fatigued all the time

● The presence of a lump under the skin can be a visible sign of cancer

● Yellowing or darkening of the skin may occur, and the person may notice that the sores on their body

are taking a long time to heal

● There might be changes in bowel movement

● There can be persistent night sweats or fever

● The person might experience difficulty swallowing

● Some people might also experience frequent indigestion and discomfort after having meals

● Frequent unexplainable muscle or joint pains can also be a symptom

● Another symptom can be a strained or raspy voice

Sudden unexplainable weight loss is also one of cancer’s most common symptoms.
Statistics show that almost half of the people diagnosed with cancer have shown signs
of a rapid unexplainable weight loss.

While these are some of the common symptoms of cancer, it is important to keep in
mind that not all of these symptoms might indicate cancer. They might sometimes
simply depict the growth or development of a benign tumour that is completely
malignant in nature.
TYPES OF CANCER
From a medical perspective, cancer types can be classified based on the type of cell they originated
from. Therefore cancer can be classified into:

Carcinoma
The most common form of cancer, it originates from the epithelial cells

Sarcoma
Originates from the connective tissues such as cartilage, fat and bone tissues.

Melanoma
Originates from melanocytes, which are a type of cell that contains pigments.

Lymphoma & Leukaemia

Originates from the cells that comprise blood (such as b lymphocytes or white blood cells)
CAUSES OF CANCER
Many factors are attributed to causing cancer. The most probable factors
include:

1. Physical factors – Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays

2. Chemical factors – Such as tobacco and smoke
3. Biological factors – Viral oncogenes, proto-oncogenes and cellular oncogenes

The above factors are called carcinogens.

DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER
The detection and diagnosis of cancer are very important before it spreads
to other parts of the body. Identification of cancer genes is pivotal to
prevent cancer.
The following methods are used to detect cancer –
1. Biopsy.
2. Histopathological studies of tissue.
3. Radiography technique.
4. Computed tomography.
5. Magnetic resonance imaging.
6. Molecular biology techniques.
TREATMENT OF CANCER
Commonly, three types of treatment are available for cancer.
1. Surgery – Surgically removing localized cancerous mass (Effective for benign
tumours)
2. Radiation therapy – In this therapy, radiation is used to kill the cancer cells.
3. Chemotherapy – Chemotherapeutic drugs are used to kill cancer cells.
4. Immunotherapy - treatment that uses a person's own immune system to fight
cancer.
Many chemical drugs have side effects in cancer patients like hair loss. So,
interferons are injected into cancer patients to develop immunity against these
side effects.
TREATMENT: SURGERY
Cancers in organs like the breast, prostate and testicles can be cured by the
removal of those parts through surgery. This is the oldest known treatment option,
which is effective if metastasis has not taken place and if cancer is localised to a
small portion of the body. It cannot be employed for leukaemias.
TREATMENT: RADIATION THERAPY
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is a type of cancer treatment. This
treatment uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy most
often uses X-rays. But other types of radiation therapy exist, including proton
radiation.

Modern methods of radiation are precise. They aim beams directly at the cancer
while protecting healthy tissues from high doses of radiation.
TREATMENT: CHEMOTHERAPY
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing
cells in your body.

Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer cells grow and
multiply much more quickly than most cells in the body.

Many different chemotherapy drugs are available. Chemotherapy drugs can be used
alone or in combination to treat a wide variety of cancers.

Though chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many types of cancer,

chemotherapy treatment also carries a risk of side effects. Some chemotherapy side
effects are mild and treatable, while others can cause serious complications.
TREATMENT : IMMUNOTHERAPY
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment. It uses substances made by the body
or in a laboratory to boost the immune system and help the body find and destroy
cancer cells.
Immunotherapy can treat many different types of cancer. It can be used alone or in
combination with chemotherapy and/or other cancer treatments.
The immune system consists of a complex process that your body uses to fight
cancer. This process involves cells, organs, and proteins. Cancer can commonly get
around many of the immune system's natural defenses, allowing cancer cells to
continue to grow.
Different types of immunotherapy work in different ways. Some immunotherapy
treatments help the immune system stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. Others
help the immune system destroy cancer cells or stop the cancer from spreading to
other parts of the body.
STATISTICS OF CANCER IN INDIA
STAGES OF CANCER
Most cancers have four stages. The specific stage is determined by a few
different factors, including the tumor’s size and location:
● Stage I: The cancer is localized to a small area and hasn’t spread to
lymph nodes or other tissues.
● Stage II: The cancer has grown, but it hasn’t spread.
● Stage III: The cancer has grown larger and has possibly spread to
lymph nodes or other tissues.
● Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other organs or areas of your
body. This stage is also referred to as metastatic or advanced cancer.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
● NCERT TEXTBOOK
● SITES ON INTERNET
1. https://byjus.com/biology/cancer
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer
3. https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/cancer-2/