• Question: How does cancer work?

    Asked by legend to Lily, Mark, Paul, Sarah on 25 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Sarah Bardsley

      Sarah Bardsley answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Its when abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and affect other tissues. There’s loads of different types with different characteristics and treatments.

    • Photo: Mark Roberts

      Mark Roberts answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Cancer is a disease when cells divide uncontrollably – that would be fine if we were just one cell but because out body is complex and made up of lots of cells together if some keep dividing then there simply isn’t space so it causes disease – namely cancer.

      Cancer is very personal as for cells to divide uncontrollably 7 systems in the cell need to break / not work normally. In each of these systems there are different ways they can break – this means that each person’s cancer is potentially different to the next (in terms of what is broken!) [though there are things that are more likely to break that others]

      So this means there will never be ‘a cure for cancer’ there may well be many cures and what works for each patient will be very dependant on what is broken – so cancer will end up being an individual cure.

      As for how it spreads one of the things that happens late in cancer is some of the cells from the tumour of cells that are growing out of control manage to break free into the blood stream – there they can attach to new tissues forming a new tumour

      Hope that answers your qu.

    • Photo: Lily Asquith

      Lily Asquith answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Hmm I don’t know. I think cancer cells are really good at replicating themselves, better than normal cells.

    • Photo: Paul Roche

      Paul Roche answered on 25 Jun 2010:

      This is Marks’ area, so I’m sure he can give a much better answer, but as I understand it, cancers are cells that grow uncontrollably, and this harms the normal cells around them, causing them to die. There are so many different kinds of cancer, and many different treatments being developed to try and cure people. It is a scarey thought that something like 1 in 3 people will get cancer at some point, although treatments these days are getting better and better.

      My aunt died last year of cancer, and she was only diagnosed about 2 weeks before she actually died – so she must have had the cancers for years, but they only became noticeable and started affecting her health in the last few weeks. At that stage there is nothing that can be done, but if cancer is found early enough, it can be slowed down or cured more easily – so screening programmes to look for early signs of cancer are vital, as well as new drugs, treatments etc.

Comments

  • Photo: tasniauddin

    tasniauddin commented on :

    I’m Scared To Get Cancer!

    • Photo: Paul

      Paul commented on :

      I think most people are, but you can help reduce your chances by living a healthy life – so not smoking, taking exercise, eating healthy food, getting regular check-ups at the doctor etc. Cancer treatments are always improving, and as we understand the genetics of cancers we are getting better at knowing how best to treat them. Lots of people recover from cancer these days, with no after effects – so don’t let it worry you.

  • Photo: Mark

    Mark commented on :

    Don’t be! There is only a small chance you might get it and as we keep doing the science we keep getting better at curing it!