In my last blog, we were talking about 1st application of cancer and when I showed it to my friends they quickly came up with a very obvious question - Is cancer a hereditary disease??? ... Can it be passed on to a generation??.... How do cancer cells work in themselves?.. Nd this led me to my blog about all their questions. So let's dive in people! đ€đđ»
Understanding the role of genetic changes in cancer development is a crucial step in advancing our knowledge of this disease. These changes can be inherited or caused by environmental factors and errors in cell division.
Recognizing that cancer is a genetic disease empowers us to explore the genes that govern cell growth and multiplication. Each gene contains instructions for producing proteins, and by identifying DNA and genetic changes, such as variants, mutations, or alterations, we gain valuable insights into how cancer forms and spreads.
By acknowledging that cancer-related genetic changes can arise from random DNA errors, we can focus on finding ways to minimize these mistakes and develop targeted interventions to prevent and treat cancer. Our understanding of genetic changes in cancer offers us opportunities to make significant progress in improving outcomes for individuals affected by this disease.
Here is a very simple way ( insider to my notes ) I'd like to present how cancer cells mechanism --
In cancer cells, there is a breakdown of these regulatory mechanisms. Normal cells show a property called contact inhibition by which contact with other cells inhibits their uncontrolled growth. Cancer cells appear to have lost this property, As a result of this cancerous cells just continue to grow giving rise to masses of cells called tumors.
Tumors are of two types benign and malignant.
Benign tumors normally remain confined to their original location do not spread to other parts of the body and cause little damage.
The malignant tumors, on the other hand, are a mass of proliferating cells called neoplastic or tumor cells. These cells grow very rapidly, invading and damaging the surrounding normal tissue As these cells actively divide and grow they also starve the normal cells by competing for vital nutrients.
Cells sloughed from such tumors reach distant sites through blood and wherever they get lodged in the body they start a new tumor there, this property called metastasis is the most feared property of malignant tumors
The transformation of normal cells into cancerous neoplastic cells may be induced by physical-chemical or biological agents these agents are called carcinogens
Our DNA can be altered by carcinogens in the environment, such as chemicals in tobacco smoke, UV rays from the sun, and the human papillomavirus (HPV), or be inherited from our parents. DNA changes, whether caused by random mistakes or carcinogens, can accumulate over the years and turn healthy cells into cancerous cells. While most genetic changes aren't harmful on their own, the accumulation of genetic changes over many years can lead to the development of cancer
I hope you people understood it đand liked it âđ»... We'll meet again in the next part!!
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