Here are just a few problems that could occur in your lifetime.

Allergies An OVERREACTION of the immune system Occurs after 2 nd exposure Allergen attaches to mast cell’s antibodies. Mast cell then releases histamine. Result: Itchiness, mucus production, sneezing, watery eyes etc. Anaphylaxis – life threatening reaction to allergen

Asthma Narrowing of the air passages by the spasm contractions of the smooth muscle. Chronic disease Reaction to antigens or stress related.

Other Diseases Autoimmune Disorders Your own immune system is attacking you! Production of “antiself” antibodies. Ex: Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Celiac disease Immunodeficient Diseases Failure of the immune system to develop normally. Pathogen could be destroying WBC’s. Ex: AIDS, Boy in the Bubble

Type of Cancer Estimated New Cases Estimated Deaths Skin (nonmelanoma)>1,000,000<1,000 Lung215,020161,840 Prostate186,32028,660 Breast (female)182,46040,480 Colon/Rectal148,81049,960 Bladder68,81014,100 Melanoma62,4808,420 Kidney46,23211,059 Leukemia (all forms)44,27021,710 Pancreatic37,68034,290 Breast (male)1,990450

Type of Cancer Age when you should first get screened Type of Exam Cervical 21 or 3 years after becoming sexually active Pap Smear Breast40Mammogram Prostate 45 if at higher risk, 50 for everyone else Blood test and rectal exam Melanoma Ongoing, wear sunscreen Spot check by yourself and a dermatologist Colon50Colonoscopy

It’s easy to SPOT A SPOT: The ABCD’s of Melanoma ASSYMETRY: -If you were to fold it in half, the two sides wouldn’t match up. BORDER IRREGULARITY: -Jagged or blurred edges rather than smooth, continuous line. COLOR VARIATION or CHANGE: -Two or more different colors are present. -A mole has been changing in any way. DIAMETER: -Any sudden or continuing growth -Any mole larger than 6mm (pencil-top eraser) (Images and text borrowed with permission from the American Academy of Dermatology 6 )

Risk Factors for Skin Cancer Living in California Living in California Having fair skin, eyes, or hair, or skin that sunburns easily (although anyone can get melanoma) Having fair skin, eyes, or hair, or skin that sunburns easily (although anyone can get melanoma) 1 or more blistering sunburn in life 1 or more blistering sunburn in life Having had a lot of sun exposure Having had a lot of sun exposure Having >50 moles on your body Having >50 moles on your body Having a family member who has had skin cancer Having a family member who has had skin cancer

Stages of Cancer Stage 0: in situ the cells are forming a small tumor but are self- contained and labeled benign at this stage Stage 1: the cancer is no longer self contained and begins to affect neighboring tissue Stage 2: the cancer forms a blood supply Stage 3: the cancer attacks lymph tissue and begins shedding cells to spread to distant parts of the body Stage 4: the cancer has spread to and become established in various parts of the body

Further information is available on the American Cancer Society’s website:

Cancer Stage 0 'in situ' "A cell that becomes a cancer cell usually does so in the company of other similar cells. Often, but not always, it can produce a tumour right there in that tissue, in a way that poses little or no threat to life. This is called in situ cancer; that is, cancer in the position where it started. It is probable that some cancers never go beyond this early stage." Stage 1: localised cancer "At the next stage, the cancer cells gain the ability to pass through the 'basement membrane', that is the thin, fibrous boundary to the tissue in which the cancer began, and to invade neighbouring tissue. This invasion is a serious step, because it indicates that the growing cancer cells may threaten life. "While the cancer remains a single lump, partly in the tissue where it began and partly in a neighbouring tissue, it is said to be in the localised stage." Stages 2 and 3: regional spread "Once a cancer cell has invaded, a common next step is for one of its daughter cells to invade through a lymph vessel (a vessel like a blood vessel that carries the clear fluid called lymph, which is all the time exuding into tissue from our blood capillaries (the smallest blood vessels), back to the blood stream). "On the way to the blood stream, the cancer cell can get caught in a lymph node, one of the powerhouses of the body's immune system. There it might provoke an immune response against it, which can go on to destroy it and the other cancer cells. Wonderful! "Sometimes, though, it divides and forms a lump in the lymph node. This stage is often referred to as regional spread. That is, the cancer has spread within the general region in which it first began but not to other parts of the body." Stage 4: distant spread "The next step can be quite varied. Cells from the lump in the lymph node may spread further through lymph vessels to more distant lymph nodes or on into the blood stream. Or cells from the original lump may invade a capillary and enter the blood stream that way. "Either way, once in the blood stream, the cancer cells can go just about anywhere in the body, form new colonies and spread further. This is the stage of distant spread."