Cancer

How do genes affect cancer growth?

the ganes of cancer affect

The discovery of certain types of genes that promote cancer development has been a major advance in cancer research. According to observations, over 90 percent of the cancers with a certain type of genetic alteration. Some of these alterations are inherited, while others are sporadic, meaning that occur by chance or by environmental exposures (for many years in most cases). The following are the three main types of genes that can affect the growth of cells and are altered (mutated) in certain types of cancer:

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What are the risk factors of cancer?

Risk of cancer

As mentioned above, certain cancers, especially in adults, have been associated with repetitive exposure to risk factors. A risk factor is anything that may increase a person’s chance of developing a disease. The risk factor does not necessarily cause the disease, but decreases the body’s resistance to it. It has been suggested that the following risk factors and mechanisms contributing to cancer:

* Factors related to lifestyle such as smoking, high fat diets and management of toxic chemicals can be risk factors for cancer in adults. However, most children with cancer are too young to have been exposed to these factors during a period of time.

* Family history and hereditary and genetic factors may play an important role in certain types of childhood cancer. It is possible that various forms of cancer are present in a family in more than one occasion. In these circumstances, it is unknown whether the disease is caused by a genetic mutation, exposure to chemicals near the home of the family, the combination of these factors or a mere coincidence.

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What is causes of cancer?

Cause of cancerCancer does not have a single cause. Scientists believe that cancer is caused by the interaction of many factors together. The factors involved may be caused by genetic, environmental or constitutional an individual.

Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cancer in children are different than adult patients. The main differences are in the survival rate and cause cancer. The survival rate of children with cancer is 79 percent, while the adult is 64 percent. It is believed that this difference is that children respond better to therapy and can tolerate more aggressive therapy, so the prognosis is better.

Often, childhood cancers occur or begin in stem cells, which are simple cells capable of producing other types of specialized cells that the body needs. Normally, childhood cancer is motivated by a cell change or mutation sporadically (by chance). In adults, epithelial cells are most likely to become cancerous. These cells line the body cavity and the body surface. Cancer is caused by environmental exposures to these cells over time. For this reason, cancer in adults is called “acquired”.

Pancreas cancer

Pancreas cancerThe incidence of pancreatic cancer has been estimated at 10 cases per 100,000 population, the average age of clinical presentation is 69 years, with a slight preponderance in males (ratio 1.2-1.5 to 1 for females ).

Overall survival at 1 year of diagnosis is made very low (12%) and even survival at 5 years (0,4-4%), the lowest of all cancers.

Early symptoms of pancreatic cancer are usually nonspecific and are therefore often ignored by the patient and physician. Among these early nonspecific symptoms include: bloating, malaise, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation.

As the disease progresses and is already at an advanced stage the patient presents to the doctor with a painless jaundice and a history of weight loss.

The prevalence of symptoms varies according to location (head, body or tail of the pancreas) and size of the tumor growing within the pancreatic mass.

When the presence of jaundice is associated with a tumor that sits in the body or tail of the pancreas invariably coincides with a clinical presentation very late, which makes the chances of being able to remove the tumor are minimal due to the almost certain existence metastases in the liver and regional lymph nodes.

Surgical removal of the tumor and the organ that sits (whether partial or total) is the treatment that offers the greatest chance of cure, although more than 80% of patients present the physician in an evolutionary phase in which the cancerous disease is already well advanced or unresectable, which explains the very low percentage of cases in which it is possible to remove the tumor, ie the tumor is “unresectable” and, consequently, the disappointing survival rates of this malignancy.

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Cancer cells never sleep

cell cancer

MADRID .- So far, some research had suggested that people who work night shifts have more cancer risk than the rest of the population. The key to this phenomenon is called circadian rhythm, our internal biological clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles. And judging by the latest results of a Spanish investigation, also plays an important role in the case of tumor cells.

This clock runs from the brain activity of all organs of our body to become more active at certain times than others. And such activity is also regulated in each cell individually, except in the case of the tumor, which appears to be ‘spoiled’, according to results of a study conducted by Professor Manel Esteller.

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Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer

Tumors arising in the ovaries are, in most cases, benign but some are truly malignant, cystic or solid form, originating from cells undergoing malignant transformation and grow in a disorderly and uncontrolled can invade and destroy nearby tissues.

Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other type of gynecologic cancer and accounts for 5% of cancer deaths among women. It is estimated that about 2% of women suffer from ovarian cancer at some point in their lives.

There are different types of ovarian tumors, depending on the cell from which they originate. In most cases, approximately 80% are derived from epithelial cells. The rest originates from cells called germ cells or reproductive and serving as a supporting structure of the organ.

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Liver cancers

liver cancer

The liver, the organ of the human body larger without the skin, is located below the ribs on right side of the abdomen.

Its main functions include the filtration of blood and the elimination of toxic wastes and the production of enzymes that help digest food, converting them into substances needed for the proper functioning of the body. Some nutrients have to be chemically altered (metabolized) in the liver before the rest of the body can use as energy source. The liver produces some of the clotting factors that prevent the blood is too liquid and also secretes bile to the intestine to help absorb nutrients.

The liver is divided into three lobes, the right, the left and a smaller one called square, which in turn are subdivided into segments. Unlike most other organs of the body receives blood from two sources. The hepatic artery supplies the liver with blood rich in oxygen while the portal vein carries nutrient-rich blood from the intestines. All blood from the digestive tract through the liver before it reaches the rest of the body, making it a sort of ‘office’ from the outside world.

Liver cancers

Cancer occurs when normal cells change and begin to grow uncontrollably and form a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous, meaning it can spread to other parts of the body).

Primary liver cancer is cancer that originates in the liver. More commonly, the liver is the site of metastasis (spread) of cancer that started somewhere else, like pancreatic cancer, colon, stomach, breast or lung. However, these are not primary liver cancer. For more information about cancer that originated elsewhere in the body and spread to the liver

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Cervical Cancer

cervical cancer
What is the cervix?

The cervix is the name given to the lowest part of the uterus. The uterus is an organ that only women have, and is where babies grow and develop when a woman is pregnant. During pregnancy, the uterus grows enormously. When a woman is not pregnant, the uterus is an organ small, pear-shaped which lies between the rectum and bladder of women. The cervix connects the uterus to the birth canal (vagina). The cervix can be visualized and examined by his doctor during a routine pelvic examination.

What is cancer of the cervix?

Cervical cancer develops when cells in the cervix begin to grow uncontrollably and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of cells that grow abnormally are called tumors. Some tumors are not really cancer because they can not spread or threaten the lives of people. These are called benign tumors. The tumors that can spread through the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancer and are called malignant tumors. Usually the cancer of the cervix is very slow-growing but in some circumstances it can grow and spread quickly.

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Symptoms and Complications of Brain Cancer

brain cancer

Symptoms and Complications

Brain cancer
causes symptoms when it pushes on the brain that destroys brain tissue. Symptoms depend on the size and location of the tumor, and the speed at which it multiplies. Although headaches are often a symptom of brain cancer, it is important to remember that most headaches are not caused by cancer but are caused by less serious conditions such as migraine or tension. Headaches caused by brain tumors are often severe, associated with nausea and vomiting and often worse early in the day. They can last long or occur intermittently.

Other symptoms include:

* Dizziness
* Impaired vision as double vision
* Impaired coordination
* Weakness or numbness on one side of body
* Seizures
* Changes in mood, senses, personality or feelings
* Impaired memory
* A state of confusion or difficulty concentrating

The Primary Liver Cancer

liver cancerWhat is it?

The primary liver cancer is cancer that occurs in the liver spontaneously and develops depends directly on liver cells (liver cells).

Causes and risk factors

The primary liver cancer:

* Is increasing for several years;
* Is more common in some regions: Africa (tropical) and South-Eastern Asia;
* Occurs around age 60 in Europe and North America and to 35 years in Africa and Asia;
* Is mainly observed in humans;
* Is most often linked to the evolution of a pre-existing cirrhosis. In France, the cancerous cirrhosis due to alcohol varies between 10 and 30%. In the tropics, the carcinogenesis is linked to cirrhosis of viral origin (hepatitis B). When liver cancer develops on a liver showing no lesions of cirrhosis, the role of dietary factors has been advanced, and especially that of certain toxins (aflatoxin contaminant of peanut flour in Africa). Read the rest of this entry »