CANCER

Section 6.2

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 LEARNING OUTCOMES
Understand the difference between a cancer cell
and a normal cell

Understand what a mutation is

Understand the causes of cancer and ways that

we can help prevent cancer

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 DNA EXPOSURE

DNA is floating in solution of chemicals

Some chemicals come from outside of
cell & can be harmful
Example: exposure to radiation or
viruses

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 DNA EXPOSURE

Result can be a change in

sequence of nitrogen bases
Remember these?
GENE

Remember - dna "ladder" = sugar phosphate "backbone" + nitrogen bases

Bases are in a specific order along the DNA strand. The particular order is what makes us
unique.

A gene is the basic biological unit of heredity passed from parents to a child. Genes are
pieces of DNA and determine a particular characteristic of an individual.

In normal cells, hundreds of genes intricately control the process of cell division. Normal
growth requires a balance between the activity of those genes that promote cell
proliferation and those that suppress it.

When genes work properly, they tell cells when its the right time to grow and divide - e.g.
when body needs them to replace aging or damaged cells

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 MUTATION

Changes in the genetic code

(the order of nucleotide bases)
are called mutations
Can be beneficial sometimes
But usually neutral/damaging

Beneficial: mutation that provides resistance to HIV

-Also, our ability to see colour (rather than black/white) was result of a mutation in our
DNA

Neutral: blue eyes arose from a change in the protein responsible for eye pigmentation.

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 MUTATIONS & CANCER
Cells become cancerous after mutations
accumulate in various genes that control
cell division
Cancer genome project: most cancer cells
possess 60 or more mutations
Different mutations = different kinds of
cancer
Mutations can be inhereted, develop over
time as genes wear out, or...

Cells become cancerous after mutations accumulate in the various genes that control cell
proliferation.

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 CARCINOGENS
Any substance/energy that causes a harmful mutation in
our genetic code

Viruses Radiation Chemicals

Eg virus - HPV
Eg radiation - UV radiation from sun, xrays
Eg chemicals - air pollution, asbestos, cigarette smoke, alcohol

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 CANCER CELLS VS NORMAL
Normal Cells
Stop growing when enough new
cells are present
Cannot divide when isolated from
one another. Cell-to-cell
communication is essential
Either repaired or die when they
get old
Become specialized (mature)
Cancer Cells
Do not stop growing or dividing
Do not "communicate" with other
cells. Can grow independently
Are not repaired and do not die
when they get old.
Use up energy & resources of
other cells of the body to
repoduce.

Normal cells
-reproduce when and where it's needed
-stick together in the right place in the body
-self destruct when they become damaged or too old
-become specialised (mature). This means they have a specific role to perform for example
as a muscle cell or red blood cell.

Cancer cells are cells gone wrong — in other words, they no longer respond to many of the
signals that control cellular growth and death.
=uncontrolled cell division

Over time, these cells become increasingly resistant to the controls that maintain normal
tissue — and as a result, they divide more rapidly than their progenitors and become less
dependent on signals from other cells. Cancer cells even evade programmed cell death,
despite the fact that their multiple abnormalities would normally make them prime targets
for apoptosis. In the late stages of cancer, cells break through normal tissue boundaries
and metastasize (spread) to new sites in the body.

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 TUMOURS

When cells grow abnormally, a tumour will develop

Tumour = collection of cells that form an abnormal mass
of tissue
Can be benign (harmless) or malignant
Malignant tumour = mass of cancerous cells that can
break away and form tumours in other parts of the body

A tumour is made up of billions of copies of the original cancerous cell.

As a tumour grows, it needs more blood to bring oxygen and other nutrients to the cancer
cells. So cancer cells send signals for a tumour to make new blood vessels. This is called
angiogenesis and it is one of the reasons that tumours grow and get bigger.

**It also allows cancer cells to get into the blood/lymphatic system and spread more easily
to other parts of the body (=metastasize)

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 TUMOURS

As a tumour gets bigger, cancer cells can spread to surrounding tissues and structures by
pushing on normal tissue beside the tumour. Cancer cells also make enzymes that break
down normal cells and tissues as they grow. Cancer that grows into nearby tissue is called
local invasion or invasive cancer.

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 PREVENTION
DONT SMOKE!!!!
Keep the environment clean! (e.g. don't idle your car,
only drive when necessary - use public transit/ride a
bike if possible
Hygienic & active lifestyle
Moderate/no alcohol consumption
Use sunscreen to block UV rays (SPF 30)
Nutrition (less fat & red meat, more fiber...fruits/veg)
Organic agriculture; food without additives

Exercise linked to reduced risk of colon, breast and reproductive cancers

Hygiene - avoid infections like hepatitis, HIV and HPV

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