ONCOLOGYONCOLOGYTHE STUDY OF CANCERTHE STUDY OF CANCER

What is it?What is it?

How do you get it?How do you get it?

What is cancer…What is cancer…

Loss of Normal Growth ControlLoss of Normal Growth Control

Normal

Rate of cell growth = rate of cell death

Cancer –

Mutations occur in cells and they get stuck in mitosis (no interphase)

Example of Normal GrowthExample of Normal Growth

The Beginning of Cancerous GrowthThe Beginning of Cancerous Growth

Tumors (Neoplasms)Tumors (Neoplasms)

Tumor is formed = Mass of cells dividing too quicklyREMEMBER: telomerase replaces telomeres in cancer cells

Invasion and MetastasisInvasion and Metastasis

CANCER = when tumor cells start to migrate into other tissues

Malignant versus Benign TumorsMalignant versus Benign Tumors

Benign Tumors = cells are localized and do not travel to other tissues = not cancer!

Malignant Tumors = cells enter bloodstream and travel to new locations and start to divide there = Cancer!!

When cancer cells spread to other organs and start to grow, they take over that organ…it no longer works properly and people get very sick.

Cells in this skin tumor traveled through the blood stream and infected the liver and brain.

Angiogenesis = body grows more blood cells to tumor to keep cells alive – puts extra stress on heart

BiopsyBiopsy

Oncologist – cancer doctor

Biopsy – remove some cells from tumor to view them and see if they are cancerous

Microscopic Appearance of Cancer CellsMicroscopic Appearance of Cancer Cells

What causes cancer…What causes cancer…

Chemicals cause mutations in cells…

Only a few viruses that infect human cells actually cause cancer

Viruses cause mutations in cells…

Bacteria causes mutations in cells…

Heredity increases an individual's susceptibility to developing cancer

Older people have more mutations accumulated in the body. This increases the chance that one of the mutations will cause cancer…

Types of Mutations…

These mutations change the amino acid changes which changes the proteins that control the cell cycle

Proto oncogenes = speeds up cell Proto oncogenes = speeds up cell cyclecycle

Suppressor genes = slow down cell Suppressor genes = slow down cell cyclecycle

When these genes become mutated, When these genes become mutated, the cell gets stuck in mitosisthe cell gets stuck in mitosis