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This topic takes on average 45 minutes to read.

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Topic last updated: 27 Jan 2022
    • Biology Biology
    • Ico Chemistry Chemistry
    • Ico Human Biology Human biology
    • 16+
    • 45

Cell division

  of  10

Treating cancers

What is a cancer cell?

Cancer cells reproduce without being affected by the normal mechanisms that control the cell cycle and limit their growth. Cancer cells:

  • no longer need an external stimulus to divide
  • are not sensitive to the normal signals that stop growth and division
  • fail to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death) in different ways such as producing proteins to protect them from apoptosis or inactivating the proteins involved in apoptosis
  • may produce chemicals that stop the T-cells of the immune system from recognising them so the cancer cells are not destroyed by the immune system
  • invade healthy tissues by producing chemicals that dissolve protective proteins
  • are capable of metastasis
  • can stimulate the formation of new blood vessels to provide the resources they need to grow

Treating cancers

To treat cancer successfully, it is important to detect the problem as quickly as possible, before the tumour metastases. Unfortunately it often isn’t easy to detect cancers as they grow.

There are many different types of cancers, so what works in treating one cancer will not work for a different kind.

Sometimes cancers form lumps that can be detected on the outside of the body, which can make things a bit easier. Breast cancer and testicular cancer are both examples of this. Melanoma forms dark moles on the skin surface.

Mammograms

Sometimes the tumours grow deep inside the body. If there is plenty of room for them to grow before they cause symptoms, they can easily become very big and have formed many metastases before the person affected becomes aware of the problem. Lung cancers, stomach cancers and bowel cancers are rather like this.

Intra Camera

There are a number of different approaches to treating cancer. Some have been used for many years, whilst others involve cutting edge biotechnology. The choice of treatment will depend on the type and stage of the cancer. The ideal treatment attacks and destroys the tumour cells but leaves the healthy cells of the patient intact. No-one has yet found the perfect molecule, but we have an ever-expanding range of treatments to use against cancers.

Click on each one of the slices within the animation below to learn about different approaches currently used to treat cancer.

Show animation full screen in new window

Activity:

Investigate one of the more recent forms of cancer therapy and produce a poster explaining how the cancer forms in the body and how the therapy you have chosen prevents the growth and spread of the tumour and/or kills the cancer cells.

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Mutations and cancer
Meiosis
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