Cancer

1
Chapter 14

• Cancer
• Section 3 p349-354

2
Definitions

• Cancer
• A disease caused by uncontrollable cell growth.
• Malignant tumor (cancerous)
• A mass of cells that invades destroys healthy
  tissue.
• Benign tumor
• An abnormal, usually harmless cell mass.
• Chemotherapy
• The use of drugs to kill cancer cells.

3
Cancer cells vs. Normal cells

• Cancer cells grow uncontrollably
• They form tumors that invade destroy normal
  body cells
• Cancer cells travel through the blood and lymph
  to other parts of the body
• The cancer cells that spread are usually what
  kills a person, not the original tumor!

4
Common Carcinogens

• Viruses such as HPV
• Radioactivity
• UV rays from the sun
• Chemicals in tobacco smoke
• Asbestos
• We may be exposed daily in our food, water, air,
  environment

5
Detecting cancer

• Self-exams
• Biopsy-tissue sample that is studied
• X-rays
• MRI-magnetic resonance imaging
• Blood and DNA tests

6
Treating cancer

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy-also kills some of the bodys
  healthy cells
• Radiation-beam of radiation is fired at the tumor
  from outside the body