Stand Up To Cancer

What exactly is cancer, anyway? What makes it so widespread and so difficult to defeat?

When we say "cancer," we"re actually referring to a group of over 100 diseases. Some - like breast cancer, skin cancer or prostate cancer - you've probably heard of. Others, like, may not sound so familiar. But they all have one thing in common: they all involve the uncontrolled mutation of cells that used to be healthy.

Here's how it works. Every day the cells that make up your body divide again and again; cells that have outlived their usefulness die, only to be immediately replaced by fresh, healthy cells. It sounds like a lot of activity, but it's all part of the normal processes that come with being alive. Cells divide millions of times over the course of a human life, and 99.9999999999999% of the time they do so flawlessly. That makes them better and more efficient at what they do than any computer ever invented. But once in a blue moon, there's a problem. And that's when cancer begins to take root.

It starts with a genetic abnormality in the material that makes up a dividing cell. Sometimes these abnormalities are passed from generation to generation (that's why women with a family history of breast cancer are at a greater risk themselves). Sometimes they're caused by carcinogens, like cigarette smoke or certain chemicals. And sometimes they just happen with no explanation at all. As you can imagine, the more times your cells divide, the more likely it becomes that an abnormality will pop up. That's why 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in people 55 and older.

Abnormalities sometimes go on to activate oncogenes, which give cells new and frightening abilities. Suddenly they're capable of dividing incredibly rapidly, far faster than is necessary for normal growth. They are capable of invading and destroying nearby tissue if it gets in their way. And they can travel through the blood to new areas of the body, taking root wherever they please in a process known as metastasis. That's what makes cancer such a daunting opponent - it harnesses the power of the human body, then turns it on itself.

For a long time people thought the only way to impede cancer's progress was to hurt the entire body with radiation or chemotherapy in hopes that the cancerous cells would die and the healthy cells would pull through. Today we're looking at targeted treatments (like Herceptin) that are safer, easier on the body and more effective - a killer combination. But there won't be new treatments without new research. And there won't be new research without new funding.

Ready to graduate to a more scientific explanation of cancer? Check out "What Is Cancer" in the Science section of SU2C Mag! And for a great explanation of why we need to support cancer research now more than ever, let leading luminaries in the field give you the lowdown on SUTV's Lab channel.

--Cat Vasko