Cancer

Cancer Facts:• 1 in 3 will get cancer• 1 in 3 will survive it• 3 out of 4 families have a family

member with cancer• 50% of cancer could have been

prevented• 50% of deaths could have been

prevented with early treatment

Key Question

Why do so many people WAIT TOO LONG to be treated for cancer?

Answer:

The symptoms of cancer are very similar to the symptoms of other, less dangerous diseases.

Pain is rarely a symptom of early stage cancer.

Normal cells resist “piling up” when grown in cell cultures.

Henrietta Lacks “HeLa” cells originated in her cancer tumor

Cancer cells (stained blue) have:1.Larger “mitotic” nuclei-abnormal amounts of division2.Less cytoplasm- an indication of how they DON’T function anymore

Normal cells

Loss of Normal Growth Control

Cancer cell division

Fourth orlater mutation

Third mutation

Second mutation

First mutation

Uncontrolled growth

Cell Suicide or Apoptosis

Cell damage—no repair

Normal cell division

Apoptosis, or “cell suicide,” is the mechanism by which old or damaged cells normally self-destruct

Malignant versus Benign Tumors

Malignant (cancer) cells invade neighboring tissues, enter blood vessels, and metastasize to different sites

Time

Benign (not cancer) tumor cells grow only locally and cannot spread by invasion or metastasis

Key Question

Why do so many people WAIT TOO LONG to be treated for cancer?

Normal blood Leukemia

Leukemia

•Early:•Fatigue•Anemia, paleness•Late:•Easy bruising•Weight loss

Normal Liver Liver Cancer

Liver Cancer

•Early:•Loss of appetite•Weight loss•Late:•Tenderness•Low fever

Normal Colon Colon polyp

Early colon cancer Late colon cancer

Colon Cancer

•Early:•None•Late:•Blood in stools “tarry”•Feeling of fullness•Change in bowel habits; narrow caliber stools

Normal Lung Lung with Cancer

Lung Cancer

•Early:•Persistent cough•Blood in sputum•Late:•Wheezing•Fatigue and weakness•Weight loss and maybe pain

Normal Kidney Kidney cancer

Kidney Cancer

•Early:•Appetite and weight loss•Low grade fever•Late:•Vomiting•Mild low back pain•Headache, bad breath

Normal testicle Testicular cancer

Testicular Cancer

•Early:•None•Late:•Sense of fullness in the scrotum•Noticeable enlargement

A man with breast cancer… Rare but not impossible

Normal mammogram Breast cancer

Breast Cancer

•Early:•None•Late:•Noticeable enlargement, asymmetry, vague discomfort,