How Does Cancer Develop?
Cancer is a group of diseases, including leukemia, which arise from abnormal cells. It is a disease that occurs in both people and animals. Some cancers have no signs or symptoms, while others may be very serious. The goal of cancer research is to prevent cancer at its earliest stages. While the exact cause of cancer is still unknown, modern research provides a detailed picture of the development of the disease.
Cancers can develop almost anywhere in the body. They can start in a variety of locations, such as the bones or lymph nodes. Sometimes they can spread through the bloodstream and reach distant parts of the body, such as the brain or liver.
Cancers are derived from normal cells that have been altered by an unrepaired genetic mistake. The cell then enters a malignant state, which causes it to divide and multiply out of control. As it continues to grow, it forms a tumor. These tumors usually contain a large number of cancer cells with various characteristics. Eventually, the tumor spreads to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body, such as the lungs.
In the mid-20th century, scientists began to ask questions about how cancer could develop. Some early ideas included infectious disease and chronic irritation of the tissues. However, new observations added to the confusion. When X-rays were discovered in 1895, they were found to produce localized tissue damage. This led to the idea that cancer would result from a series of changes that occur in the body.
Scientists now know that all cancers begin with abnormal cells. Each cell is made up of billions of cells. A typical cancer may involve 10 billion to 100 billion cells. Many cancers also include a large number of subpopulations of cells with different traits.
These tumors can be caused by a variety of factors. For example, a person’s exposure to a chemical that is known to trigger cancer can increase his or her risk. Other factors that contribute to cancer include inherited traits that predispose a person to the disease.
Using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, doctors can destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is given intravenously, while radiation therapy is done by putting high doses of radioactive material in the patient’s body. The goal of the treatment is to kill the cancerous cells while limiting the damage that they can do to other cells. Since it takes a long time for a cancer to develop, the treatments may have to be repeated many times.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and costs the nation approximately $107 billion annually in direct medical costs and mortality costs. Various registries are used to track the incidence of cancer in geographic areas. Some registries are organized into a single geographic area, while others are based on a group of counties or metropolitan areas.
During the past several decades, scientific research has shed light on the complexity of the cancer process. Now, scientists can target the genes that lead to the formation of cancer.
Cancer is a group of diseases, including leukemia, which arise from abnormal cells. It is a disease that occurs in both people and animals. Some cancers have no signs or symptoms, while others may be very serious. The goal of cancer research is to prevent cancer at its earliest stages. While the exact cause of cancer is still unknown, modern research provides a detailed picture of the development of the disease. Cancers can develop almost anywhere in the body. They can start in a variety of locations, such as the bones or lymph nodes. Sometimes they can spread through the bloodstream and reach distant parts of the body, such as the brain or liver. Cancers are derived from normal cells that have been altered by an unrepaired genetic mistake. The cell then enters a malignant state, which causes it to divide and multiply out of control. As it continues to grow, it forms a tumor. These tumors usually contain a large number of cancer cells with various characteristics. Eventually, the tumor spreads to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body, such as the lungs. In the mid-20th century, scientists began to ask questions about how cancer could develop. Some early ideas included infectious disease and chronic irritation of the tissues. However, new observations added to the confusion. When X-rays were discovered in 1895, they were found to produce localized tissue damage. This led to the idea that cancer would result from a series of changes that occur in the body. Scientists now know that all cancers begin with abnormal cells. Each cell is made up of billions of cells. A typical cancer may involve 10 billion to 100 billion cells. Many cancers also include a large number of subpopulations of cells with different traits. These tumors can be caused by a variety of factors. For example, a person’s exposure to a chemical that is known to trigger cancer can increase his or her risk. Other factors that contribute to cancer include inherited traits that predispose a person to the disease. Using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, doctors can destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is given intravenously, while radiation therapy is done by putting high doses of radioactive material in the patient’s body. The goal of the treatment is to kill the cancerous cells while limiting the damage that they can do to other cells. Since it takes a long time for a cancer to develop, the treatments may have to be repeated many times. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and costs the nation approximately $107 billion annually in direct medical costs and mortality costs. Various registries are used to track the incidence of cancer in geographic areas. Some registries are organized into a single geographic area, while others are based on a group of counties or metropolitan areas. During the past several decades, scientific research has shed light on the complexity of the cancer process. Now, scientists can target the genes that lead to the formation of cancer.