1. Human Anatomy I
Cancer

2. The Basics of Cancer Terminology:
Cancer: basically, mitosis gone wild. It is the uncontrolled growth of cells into structures called tumors
Tumors May be:
Benign- Stay localized, get very large, but usually aren’t lethal
Malignant- fast growing and dangerous, cells have the ability to metastasize-break off from the tumor and travel in the bloodstream and end up anywhere in the body.
This is why malignant tumors are difficult to treat.
                                                         

3. A little known fact:
Tumor cells have the ability to differentiate into any kind of cells. They grow their own blood vessels and feed themselves
Tumors have been removed from patients with hair, teeth, and “mini-organs.”
Brain tumor

4. How cells become cancerous “The Two-hit Hypothesis”
Somehow a normal cell is turned “cancerous”-scientists believe it takes two “events” for this to happen
Examples of events
X-rays
Sunlight
Drugs
Chemicals
Turning on of genes
Virus exposure
Oncogenes
These are all known as carcinogens

5. Types of Cancer
Carcinomas: solid, epithelial tumors (skin, linings of body cavities)
Sarcomas: bone, cartilage, muscle and fat tumors
Leukemia: cancers of WBC’s produced in the bone marrow
Lymphomas: affect WBC’s in the spleen and lymph nodes