Cancer (Part 2)

Treatment  SURGERY  If tumour is easily accessible  Chemotherapy  Treatment of cancer using drugs  Slow or stop the cancer cells from dividing  Or kill the cells

 Taken by injection or orally  Side effects may include hair loss, nausea, fatigue  Often used as a follow up to surgery to get any cancer cells that may have spread (metastasized)

 Radiation  Radiation harms cells that are in the process of dividing – i.e. in mitosis  Since cancerous cells do not stay in interphase as long, they are more affected by radiation than healthy cells  Radiation can be focussed on tumour using a focussed beam or by implanting a radioactive source into the tumour

 Radiation often used to shrink tumours so that surgery can become an option

 Biophotonics  Newest type of treatment  Uses beams of light to detect and treat cancer  Fewer side effects  Much of the research in this field is being done at University of Toronto!!

1) A treatment method using drugs that are activated by exposure to light. 2) Drug = photosensitizer That generates oxygen radicals when exposed to laser light. 3) Reactive oxygen species can directly kill cancer cells, or Cut off blood (and oxygen supply),which strangles the tumor.

 Immunotherapy  attempts to stimulate the immune system to reject and destroy tumors  Used for bladder cancer  Immunotherapy (not showing) Immunotherapy

Cancer Screening  Done in different ways for different cancers  Especially important if you have a family history of cancer  Genetic screening  Breast cancer and testicular cancer: self exam  Pap test : screens for cervical cancer  Blood tests  Colonscopy : colon cancer

ABCDE’s of Skin Cancer (3)   These are the general characteristics used to identify skin growths of possible concern   A – asymmetry – one half doesn’t look like the other   B – border – irregular, ragged or blurred edges   C – color – a mixture of colors or marks that change color   D – diameter – a growth more than 6 millimeters across   E – evolution – changes in shape, size or color

Detection of Skin Cancer Images Courtesy of: The Skin Cancer Foundation, Asymmetry Border Colo r Diamete r

Lifestyle Choices  Avoid smoking  Healthy diet (lots of fruits and vegetables)  `super` foods  Tomatoes, carrots, avocados, grapefruit, red grapes, broccoli, garlic, raspberries, nuts, cabbage, figs MYTH: There is no evidence that antiperspirants cause breast cancer.

Diagnosing Cancer  Signs: tumour can cause swelling, discomfort, tiredness, weight loss  THE EARLIER CANCER IS DIAGNOSED, THE BETTER THE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL  Unfortunately, it is not always easy to diagnose

Imaging Technologies  X-ray

 X-rays can penetrate different tissues,bone, etc to different depths causing difference on the x-ray film  X-rays can cause DNA damage  Particularly harmful to cells in the process of mitosis  Women who are pregnant should not have X-rays done

Ultrasound  Uses high frequency sound waves and the timing of the echo to determine the shape of things inside our bodies

 Ultrasound Ultrasound  Ultrasound of breast tumour

CT scanning (Computer Axial Tomography)  Multiple xrays from different angles are taken and assembled to get a more `full picture` of what is going on  CAT scanning CAT scanning CAT scanning  (skip to 23:10)

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)  Uses radio waves and a magnetic field  Creates detailed images  Can create 3D models

 MRI MRI

Endoscopy  Fibre optic cable  Used to look for abnormal growths  Sample of growth then examined under the microscope to see if it is malignant  Should start having at least at the age of 50 – earlier if you have family history of colon cancer

 Colon cancer Colon cancer Colon cancer  Colonoscopy live Colonoscopy live Colonoscopy live  colonoscopy polyp removal colonoscopy polyp removal colonoscopy polyp removal  colonscopy of cancerous tumour colonscopy of cancerous tumour colonscopy of cancerous tumour

Examining Cells  After sample of tumour or cells is removed (called a BIOPSY), it is examined sample under microscope  Cancer cells are often irregular in shape  Important to know where cancer originated, how much it has spread, and how quickly it is growing (often given a `stage`- i.e. stage 1,2,3,4

Terry Fox  18 years old  Bone cancer  Leg was amputated  Ran more than 5000 km!!!  From St.John`s Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ontario!!  Cancer had spread to his lungs and he died at 22  In his name, HUNDRED OF MILLIONS have been raised for cancer research!!