Cancer begins when an abnormal cell grows and does not stop dividing. Cancerous cells typically divide more quickly than normal, healthy cells. Once cancerous cells begin, they rapidly invade surrounding tissue.
The human body is composed of trillions of cells, which constantly grow, divide and die. For the most part, cells are healthy and perform vital functions. Sometimes, however, cells do not form or behave properly. In a normal cell, this causes self-.
Cancerous cells differ because they continue to reproduce in spite of abnormalities or faulty information. Cancer cells also do not obey the laws of contact inhibition, which means that cancerous cells propagate when they touch another cell. (Normal cells stop dividing when this happens.) This proliferation of cancerous cells enables the disease to quickly form tumors and spread throughout the body.
Without contact inhibition to stop their progress, cancer cells are free to grow. Nutrition is required for growing, so the cells feed off the body's systems, robbing it of much needed nutrients. When cancer cells invade surrounding tissue and organs, they can inhibit or completely stop normal processes. Because they do not accomplish any useful function, cancer cells can be thought of as parasitic.
Angiogenesis growth factor is secreted by cancer cells. This growth factor causes new blood vessels to form, surrounding the cancerous growth. These vessels provide the cancer with a blood supply. The blood provides nutrition for the cancer to grow and sustain itself. Angiogenesis is a normal process when used for reproduction and tissue repair. In the case of cancer, it becomes a nightmare as tumors grow and spread around the body.
There are certain characteristics that all cancer cells share. They continue to divide and grow continuously, do not die or adhere to each other and they do not specialize. If you were to look at cancer cells under a microscope, you would see hundreds of cells that are exact copies of each other. There is no differentiation. Because cancer cells do not adhere to each other, it is easy for cells to break away and move to another part of the body. When the cells reach a new destination, they begin dividing and invading again. This process is called metastasis.
The causes of cancer are contributed to smoking, genetic mutation, immunity disorders such as HIV, and exposure to chemicals and radiation. This is why it is so important to lead a lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Because people who are stressed are more likely to get sick due to lowered immunity, get eight hours' sleep every night. Do not smoke, limit your exposure to sunlight and always have protected sex. In cases where cancer is genetic, the same principles apply. People who are genetically inclined to have a disease do not necessarily get that disease. Leading a healthy life goes a long way in protecting yourself from cancer.
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