Cancer

Cancer is a major killer of people all around the globe. We do not have a definite cure,

but the amount of research done on this one disease costs on the average of $1.2 billion dollars

annually, and $20 billion annually in care of cancer patients.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a broad ranging term that is used by many people, including medical

professionals such as doctors. Cancer, in its most fatal and aggressive form, is of a larger class of diseases known as neoplasms. There are two forms of a neoplasm: benign or malignant. A benign neoplasm is encapsulated, or surrounded, so that it's growth is restricted, whereas a malignant neoplasm is not closed in. Malignant tumors grow much more quickly than benign forms and spread into the surrounding normal tissue, and virtually destroy it, (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, Cancer).

The question is, what exactly is cancer? Cancer, is the break down and mutation of the

cells of the body, when the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) sequences in those molecules are

disrupted and errors form in the structures, (Grolier, Genetic Code).

English: Gross appearance of the cut surface of a ...

Beschreibung: Konventionelles Röntgenbild des Tho...

English: Colorectal cancer, gross appearance of an...

This mutation spreads

through surrounding tissue until it disrupts major systems in the body (such as respiratory,

digestive and waste management) cause that system to fail.

What causes Cancer to become active?

Since it is believed that almost all people have some type of cancer in their body, (although

benign), any person that comes in contact with a carcinogen, (any cancer-causing agent), will

cause these benign cells to become malignant.

It is when the cells become malignant, that cancer actually occurs. Cancer, in this context,

can be caused by many different agents; chemical, biological or physical.

Chemical Agents

Chemicals that can cause a benign cell to become active include things such as complex

hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, certain metals, drugs, hormones,