Author: Nancy Shie, B.Sc.
A staggering half of the Canadian population will develop cancer at some point in their lives. This year, in 2017, over 200 000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Canada, and about 80 000 people died from cancer-related illness. Cancer is a word heard more and more frequently with our growing lifespan, thanks to 21st-century healthcare, but cancer itself isn’t a disease that we can wholly cure with our technology just yet.
Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells
Cancer is actually a group of many different, yet related, diseases. The cells which make up our body grow, and then divide, as a part of a normal cell cycle. Eventually, all cells will die as part of their natural lifespan. In all types of cancer, the affected cells will grow and divide uncontrollably. As cancerous cells age, they become more abnormal because of their ability to ignore the signals which tell the cell to stop growing and to die.
A cancer cell’s life cycle is vastly different from a normal cell because it’s reading the commands for normal function incorrectly. How cells behave and divide is entirely encoded within our DNA, which is the blueprint for cell structure and function. Errors in our DNA can arise due to environmental damage such as exposure to UV light, or specific substances such as radiation, and chemicals in tobacco, but these errors can also be random. Usually, our body’s innate defence mechanisms catch and fix these mistakes, but when they don’t, these errors may lead to cancerous cells. These errors then get passed on as the cell continues to grow, and divides into new cancerous cells.
Unlike normal cells, cancer cells are less specialized and don’t perform the same functions. In this way, they become a burden on the body, taking up resources otherwise designated to the healthy and functional cells. In fact, some cancer cells can also influence the surrounding environment to form and redirect blood vessels to provide the cancer cells with additional nutrients, while releasing toxins into the body. Cancer cells are much like a parasite that feeds upon the body and gives back nothing in return.
Different Types of Cancers
Not all fast-growing and quickly dividing cells are called cancer. These types of cells often group together to form a tumour, but tumours can be benign or malignant. Benign, or non-cancerous tumours, do not spread into other tissues, and include extremely common growths such as moles. Some benign tumours need to be removed because they press against important organs such as a blood vessel or the brain, or because they cause discomfort to the patient. Others, such as moles, aren’t a threat at all and can remain without ever being dangerous.
Cancers are also often described as “malignant”. When a cancer is malignant, it may spread to other tissues and organs. These types of cancers can be most likened to the analogy of a parasite. They metastasize or seek spread into newer territory. These cancers require the most urgent treatment to stop its spread. As the cancers spread to different tissues, the abnormal cell types may cause changes to the functional environment of the tissue, prevent healthy cells from doing their jobs, and eventually change the function of the tissue and the organ itself. Late-stage cancers often lead to cachexia or wasting syndrome, where the body cannot produce enough energy to sustain itself, leading to dramatic weight loss and weakness. Eventually, the body may undergo organ failure as well.
Cancer Treatment
Because of the diversity of the types of cancer, the treatments can vary. The main types of treatment include surgery to remove growths, radiation therapy to target specific tumours locally, or chemotherapy drugs to kill the fast-growing cells throughout the body. A doctor works with the patient to provide a treatment plan most suited for the type of cancer, as well as the individual wishes of the patient and their family. As bleak as a cancer diagnosis may seem, modern technological advances in cancer research have improved screening tests, and treatments have better prognoses for those living with cancer. It is also important to regularly visit a doctor for regular check-ups because they are trained to detect early signs of cancer. This is especially true for certain age or population groups, or if there is a family history of cancer. In the last 15 years, the mortality rate due to cancer has dropped by an average of 1.5% per year. These trends are only the beginning of our journey to find a cure. With more funding and further research, we may one day be able to eradicate this parasite altogether.
Movember is prostate cancer awareness month. 1 in 7 men in Canada will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Early screening can catch early signs of prostate cancer, and significantly increase survival rates to over 90%. To find out more about prostate cancer, or cancer in general, visit: