Cancer causes cells to divide uncontrollably resulting in tumors, damage to the immune system, and other impairment that can really be fatal.
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a wide term. It can be considered as a large family of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth through cellular changes with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. There are many types of cancers reported to date. Some of them cause rapid cell growth while others cause cells to grow and divide at a comparatively slower rate. Many of the cancer forms result in visible growth termed as tumors, while some such as Leukemia, do not.
A cell acquires instructions through certain signaling mechanisms to die so that the body can replace it with a newer and healthier cell – obviously that functions in a more effective way. Cancerous cells lack the components of this signaling mechanism that are destined to inform the cells to stop dividing and finally to die. The results can be imagined! All the cells build up in the body, using all the essential ingredients like Oxygen and nutrients that would usually nourish other cells to grow. Finally, these cells termed Cancerous cells are able to form tumors, that impair the immune system leading to several other biological changes that prevent the body from functioning properly. Usually, these cells are seen in one area, then they start spreading via the lymph nodes. Cancerous cells are considered to be the clusters of immune cells detected throughout the body.
Causes
Numerous causes of cancer are reported, some are preventable also. Many factors such as Environmental (pollution), lifestyle, economic, behavioral as well as inherited genetics are responsible for its onset. In recent years, the cases of death due to cancer have increased at an alarming rate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 9.6 million deaths occurred due to cancer in 2018 and it is estimated that this data will hit a horrifying number of 23.6 million by 2030. According to data reported, over 480,000 people die every year from smoking. Apart from smoking, several risk factors are identified for cancer such as:
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Physical inactivity
- Excess Bodyweight
- Poor nutrition
As it is said only some of the causes are preventable. What about unpreventable causes? Currently, the most notable unpreventable risk factor is Age. As claimed by the American Cancer Society, doctors in the U.S. diagnose 87-90 % of cancer cases in people aged 50 years or older.
Cancer and Genetics
Cancer development is surrounded by genetic factors. They play an important role in the origin and development of cancerous cells. How are they related? It is known that Genes influence the production of proteins through different cells of the body. These proteins carry instructions and signals for cellular growth and division. An individual’s genetic code defines and guides their cells when to divide and expire. Certain changes in genes and their expressions lead to some faculty signals that result in CANCER. Genetic changes can be innate or acquired. Smoking, exposure to the sun are some of the factors that increase the risk of cancer after birth or during a lifetime.
Approaches to Cancer Treatment
Seeing the severity of the disease and the increase in cases every year has attracted the attention of researchers all across the world. Over the past 5 years, the number of researchers stepping into the Cancer research sector to hasten the quest of developing a cure for cancer has increased substantially. Innovative research has fired the development of new medications and treatment technologies. Researchers are engaged in performing experiments and developing treatment techniques based on the type of cancer, stage of diagnosis of cancer, and finally the patient’s overall health. Some of the discovered approaches include :
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone Therapy – Prostate and Breast cancers
- Immunotherapy
- Precision Medicine
- Radiation therapy
- Stem Cell transplant – Blood-related cancers (Leukemia / Lymphoma)
- Targeted Therapies
It can be noticed from the above-mentioned approaches that the treatments are constantly ameliorating. The diagnosis and death rates of cancer are dropping yearly with the advancement of the treatment techniques.
The Cancer Red Alert!
In 2018 alone 9.6 million deaths occurred due to cancer. It is estimated that by 2030 the cancer death toll will hit a scary number of 23.6 million.
We might not have found a way yet to beat cancer, however, as per statistical data the number of researchers stepping into the Cancer research sector to accelerate the quest of developing a cancer cure, has increased drastically over the period past 5 years. While the scientific community is on its toes to find “The Cancer Cure”, a lot of advancements have been made.
It is a high-profile sector of research as the ultimate goal of learning facts about Cancer is to create guarded and constructive methods to diagnose, detect, treat and prevent cancer. The finer we understand this disease, the more progress we can make toward declining the prodigious human and economic trolls of CANCER.
“CANCER Research Transforms And Saves Life”
Advanced research in the field of cancer has helped us gather immeasurable knowledge about the biological processes involved in the onset of a malignant tumor. All those inventions have lead to highly effective and earmarked treatments as well as prohibition strategies. Over the decades, Scientists have made numerous discoveries based on their research results in a wide array of disciplines that are considered as a major breakthrough in the identification, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
Broad Categories of Cancer Research
Cancer research is basically fragmented into assorted broad categories :
Basic Research: Includes the research of various cellular as well as molecular variations occurring naturally or throughout the development of a disease. Also cited as preclinical or lab research.
Translational Research: It recounts an approach that accelerates the execution of several discoveries and inventions conducted in the laboratory to clinical practice. Also cited as operating advances from bench to bedside.
Clinical Research: It includes the implementation of treatments and procedures in patients. The research team conducts clinical trials where they try to study a group of patients, a particular patient, and employ samples from humans like blood or any tissue samples to know details about the disease. They are interested to know how a healthy body works and responds to therapy.
Population Research: Most loved area of research. It includes the study of various causes and patterns of Cancer as well as their risk evaluation. Epidemiologists, the population scientists engage themselves in studying and identifying the patterns, causes, and effects of health & diseases in defined groups. It is highly symbiotic and can stretch the spectrum from basic research to clinical research.
Importance & Benefit of the Course
The Cancer Biology course provides an insight into the research areas in this field which are important and very much in demand. Research on the biology of cancer starts with the simplest of questions: What is normal and what isn’t normal? To find answers to this the research studies are based on the mechanisms that underlie fundamental processes such as cell growth, the normal cell transformation to abnormal cells, types of cancer, the spread of cancer cells (metastasis), stem cell research, evolution, and epidemiology of cancer. These studies are of importance as:
- It deepens our understanding of cancer.
- Produces insights that could lead to the development of new clinical interventions.
- Cancer research results, a major breakthrough in the identification, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
Looking into the significance of this field, more and more startups like immunotherapy, biopharmaceutical companies are coming into existence which provides an opportunity for young researchers who want to pursue their research or make a career in this field. Therefore, if you are looking for an opportunity in this field it is the right time to start.