An overview

of Cancer
 What is cancer?
 It means “uncontrolled growth”   The disease is caused by an uncontrolled division of
abnormal cells in a part of the body
Also referred to as a “tumor” A swelling of a part of the body, generally without inflammation,
caused by an abnormal growth of tissue, whether benign or malignant
Also referred to as a “neoplasm” A new and abnormal growth of tissue in some part of the
body
Where Does the Word “Cancer” Come From?
From Greek karkinos, “a crab” !  Greek physicians Hippocrates and
Galen, among others, noted similarity of crabs to some tumors
with swollen veins
From Latin cancer, “a crab,” later, “malignant tumor”
Old English cancer, “spreading sore, cancer”
The term oncology literally means a branch of science that deals
with tumors and cancers. The word “onco” means bulk, mass, or
tumor, while “-logy” means study.
 • One in three people in the Western world
develop cancer and one in five die of the
disease
• 1 in 4 deaths are due to cancer
• 1 in 17 deaths are due to Lung cancer
• There are approximately 200 types of cancer,
Cancer each with different causes, symptoms and

information treatments

• An individual's risk of developing cancer

depends on many factors, including age,
lifestyle and genetic make-up
Cancer can result from abnormal proliferation of any of the
different kinds of cells in the body, so there are more than a
hundred distinct types of cancer, which can vary substantially in
their behavior and response to treatment.

The most important issue in cancer pathology is the distinction

between benign and malignant tumors.
A tumor is any abnormal proliferation of cells, which may be
either benign or malignant.

A benign tumor, such as a common skin wart, remains confined

to its original location, neither invading surrounding normal
tissue nor spreading to distant body sites.

A malignant tumor, however, is capable of both invading

surrounding normal tissue and spreading throughout the body
via the circulatory or lymphatic systems (metastasis).
Only malignant tumors are properly referred to as
cancers, and it is their ability to invade and
metastasize that makes cancer so dangerous.

Whereas benign tumors can usually be removed

surgically, the spread of malignant tumors to distant
body sites frequently makes them resistant to such
localized treatment.
  Carcinomas (cells
that cover internal and
external body surfaces) Leukemia
(Blood Cells)
Lung
Lymphomas
Breast (Lymph nodes &tis

Colon

Bladder
Prostate Sarcomas
(Men)
Cells in supportive
tissues – bones &
Types of muscles

Cancers
Both benign and malignant tumors are classified according to the type of cell
from which they arise. Most cancers fall into one of three main groups:
carcinomas, sarcomas, and leukemias or lymphomas.

Carcinomas, which include approximately 90% of human cancers, are

malignancies of epithelial cells.

Cells forming sheets (epithelial tissue) that cover the surface of the body and
line internal organs.

 Adenocarcinomas develop in an organ or gland.

 Squamous cell carcinomas develop in the squamous epithelium of organs,

including the skin, bladder, esophagus, and lung.

 
Sarcomas, which are rare in humans, are solid tumors of connective tissues,
such as muscle, bone, cartilage, and fibrous tissue

Leukemias and lymphomas, which account for approximately 8% of human

malignancies, arise from the blood-forming cells and from cells of the
immune system, respectively. 
Tumors are further classified according to tissue of origin
(e.g., lung or breast carcinomas) and the type of cell
involved.

For example, fibrosarcomas arise from fibroblasts, and

erythroid leukemias from precursors of erythrocytes (red
blood cells).

The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd edition.

https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/understanding-four-stages-canc
er/
Dyplasia; the cells have not yet progressed to cancer, but they are in danger of doing so, so they
would be considered "pre-malignant."
 

https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/PH/PH709_Ca
ncer/PH709_Cancer5.html
Carcinoma in Situ and Invasive Carcinoma

Carcinoma "in situ" literally means tumor in place. These cells have transitioned to being cancerous, but they have
not yet invaded the adjacent tissues.

Note that, in the illustration below, the in situ cancer is still confined to the epithelial layer from which it arose.

If left untreated, the in situ cancer may remain confined to the epithelial layer indefinitely, but it may acquire
additional mutations that enable it to progress to an invasive cancer..

https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/PH/PH70
ncer/PH709_Cancer5.html
  Cancer cells reproduce
every 2-6 weeks.
 Size of cancer cells:
2-6 weeks

Growth of  One million

cancer cells =
Cancer 2-6 weeks head of a pin

Cells  One billion cancer

cells = a small
grape

 230 =
2-6 weeks 1,073,741,824
= 1 billion cells
1
2
3
4
1.Hallmarks Of Cancer: Growth Without 'GO' Signals: Normal cells will only divide when 'told'
to do so Cancer cells can divide by providing their own growth signals or 'tricking' other cells
into making them. They don't rely on normal signals to reproduce.

2. Hallmarks Of Cancer: Failure To Respond To 'STOP' Signals: Normal cells obey signals from
nearby cells. This prevents the cells from piling up or becoming too crowded.

3. Hallmarks Of Cancer: Unlimited Number Of Cell Divisions: Normal cells have a built in limit
to the  number of times they can reproduce (divide)

4. Hallmarks Of Cancer: Avoidance Of Cell Death: Normal cells die by cellular suicide
(apoptosis) when they behave abnormally
Cancer cells can avoid apoptosis and survive by producing pro-survival protein 'shields’.
Cancer cells can also survive by making defective (mutated) 'death' proteins - or not making
them at all.

https://www.cancerquest.org/patients/what-cancer
 Hallmarks of Cancer

Hallmarks of Cancer : An Organizing Principle for Cancer Medicine

•Douglas Hanahan, Robert A Weinberg
•Published 2015
•Biology