Cancer
Tumor - abnormal growth of tissue
•
Benign tumors - self-contained, noncancerous
•
Malignant tumors - tumors made of cells
that continuously divide; cancerous
Characteristics of Malignant Cells
• Divide continually (given space and nutrients)
• Heritable mutations: cells with mutations have
daughter cells which inherit the same mutations
• Dedifferentiated: cells lose their specialized identity
• Different appearance: reflects dedifferentiation
• Lack of contact inhibition: divide in a crowd of cells
and pile on top of each other
• Induce angiogenesis (local blood vessel formation)
• Increased mutation rate
• Invasive: squeeze into any space available
• Metastasize: cells move to new location in the body
Cancer Types
• Sarcoma rises from connective tissue such as
bone and is more common in younger people
• Carcinoma occurs in epithelial tissue and is
more common in older people; includes lung,
breast, prostate, and colon cancer
• Leukemia is the cancer of the blood or bone
marrow
• Lymphoma affects the lymphatic system
Cancer involves both inherited &
environmental factors
Inherited factors
specific genes that predispose us to cancer
Environmental factors
factors that cause new mutations, such as:
• Exposure to high levels of radiation, including UV
• Some viruses - Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human Pappiloma
Virus (HPV)
• Smoking
• Lack of physical activity
• Other
What makes a normal cell turn into a
malignant cell?
Loss of the cell cycle control
Regulation of the cell cycle involves:
• Tumor supressing genes - encode proteins that
normally function to inhibit cell division
• Proto-oncogenes - encode proteins that promote cell
division
What can happen when some of these genes mutate?
Uncontrolled cell division
Why does the chance of getting cancer
increases as we get older?
With more time passing, we are more likely
to develop mutations in genes that code for
proteins that control the cell cycle
Key Point
Cancer results from the accumulation of a
small number of independent mutations
that ultimately lead to the loss of control
over cell division
US Mortality, 2001
Rank
Cause of Death
No. of
deaths
% of all
deaths
1.
Heart Diseases
700,142
29.0
2.
Cancer
553,768
22.9
3.
Cerebrovascular diseases
163,538
6.8
4.
Chronic lower respiratory diseases
123,013
5.
Accidents (Unintentional injuries)
101,537
4.2
6.
Diabetes mellitus
71,372
3.0
7.
Influenza and Pneumonia
62,034
2.6
8.
Alzheimer’s disease
53,852
2.2
9.
Nephritis
39,480
1.6
10.
Septicemia
32,238
1.3
5.1
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tape 2001, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2003.
Change in the US Death Rates by Cause,
1950 & 2001
Rate Per 100,000
600
586.8
1950
500
2001
400
300
245.8
200
193.9
180.7
194.4
100
57.5
48.1
21.8
0
Heart
Diseases
Cerebrovascular
Diseases
Pneumonia/
Influenza
Cancer
* Age-adjusted to 2000 US standard population.
Sources: 1950 Mortality Data - CDC/NCHS, NVSS, Mortality Revised.
2001 Mortality Data–NVSR-Death Final Data 2001–Volume 52, No. 3. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr52/nvsr52_03.pdf
2004 Estimated US Cancer Deaths
Lung & bronchus
32%
Prostate
Colon & rectum
Men
290,890
Women
272,810
25%
Lung & bronchus
10%
15%
Breast
10%
10%
Colon & rectum
Pancreas
5%
6%
Ovary
Leukemia
5%
6%
Pancreas
Non-Hodgkin
lymphoma
4%
4%
Leukemia
3%
Esophagus
4%
Non-Hodgkin
lymphoma
Liver & intrahepatic
bile duct
3%
3%
Uterine corpus
2%
Multiple myeloma
Urinary bladder
3%
2%
Brain/ONS
Kidney
3%
All other sites
21%
ONS=Other nervous system.
Source: American Cancer Society, 2004.
24% All other sites
2004 Estimated US Cancer Cases
Men
699,560
Women
668,470
Prostate
33%
Lung & bronchus
13%
12% Lung & bronchus
Colon & rectum
11%
11% Colon & rectum
Urinary bladder
6%
6%
Melanoma of skin
4%
4% Ovary
Non-Hodgkin
lymphoma
4%
Kidney
3%
Oral Cavity
3%
Leukemia
3%
Pancreas
2%
All Other Sites
18%
32% Breast
Uterine corpus
4%
Non-Hodgkin
lymphoma
4%
Melanoma
of skin
3%
Thyroid
2%
Pancreas
2%
Urinary bladder
20% All Other Sites
*Excludes basal and squamous cell skin cancers and in situ carcinomas except urinary bladder.
Source: American Cancer Society, 2004.
Cancer Death Rates by Sex and Race, US,
Rate Per 100,000 1975-2000
500
African-American men
450
400
350
White men
300
250
African-American women
200
White women
150
100
*Age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population.
Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, 1975-2000, Division of Cancer Control and
Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 2003.
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
0
1975
50
Lifetime Probability of Developing Cancer, by Site,
Men, US, 1998-2000
Site
Risk
All sites
1 in 2
Prostate
1 in 6
Lung & bronchus
1 in 13
Colon & rectum
1 in 17
Urinary bladder
1 in 29
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
1 in 48
Melanoma
1 in 55
Leukemia
1 in 70
Oral cavity
1 in 72
Kidney
1 in 69
Stomach
1 in 81
Source: DevCan: Probability of Developing or Dying of Cancer Software, Version 5.1 Statistical Research and Applications
Branch, NCI, 2003. http://srab.cancer.gov/devcan
Lifetime Probability of Developing Cancer, by Site,
Women, US, 1998-2000
Site
All sites
Breast
Risk
1 in 3
1 in 7
Lung & bronchus
1 in 17
Colon & rectum
1 in 18
Uterine corpus
1 in 38
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
1 in 57
Ovary
1 in 59
Pancreas
1 in 83
Melanoma
1 in 82
Urinary bladder
1 in 91
Uterine cervix
1 in 128
Source:DevCan: Probability of Developing or Dying of Cancer Software, Version 5.1 Statistical Research and Applications
Branch, NCI, 2003. http://srab.cancer.gov/devcan
Trends in Consumption of Five or More Recommended
Vegetable and Fruit Servings for Cancer Prevention, Adults 18
and Older, US, 1994-2002
35
Prevalence (%)
30
25
24.2
24.4
24.1
24.4
24.5
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
20
15
10
5
0
Year
Note: Data from participating states and the District of Columbia were aggregated to represent the United States.
Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System CD-ROM (1984-1995, 1996, 1998) and Public Use Data Tape (2000), National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997, 1999, 2000,
2001.
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Adults with less than a high school education
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
All adults
1992
Prevalence (%)
Trends in Leisure-Time Physical Activity Prevalence
(%), by Educational Attainment, Adults 18 and Older,
US, 1992-2002
Year
Note: Data from participating states and the District of Columbia were aggregated to represent the United States.
Educational attainment is for adults 25 and older.
Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System CD-ROM (1984-1995, 1996, 1998) and Public Use Data Tape (2000),
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997,
1999, 2000, 2001.
Trends in Overweight* Prevalence (%), Adults 18 and Older,
US, 1992-2002
1995
1992
1998
2002
< 50%
50-55%
>55%
Did not participate in survey
*Body mass index of 25.0 kg/m2or greater
Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CD-ROM (1984-1995, 1998) and Public Use Data Tape (2002), National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997, 2000, 2003.
50% of all cancers are preventable
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Eat well balanced, low fat, high fiber diet
Eat antioxidants: beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins A, C, E
Drink plenty of water
Maintain healthy weight
Play in the shade (especially from 10 am to 4 pm)
Be physically active
Limit alcohol consumption
Delay sexual intercourse and limit # of sexual partners
Stay away from tobacco and don’t breathe other people’s
smoke
• Breastfeed your babies
• Have regular dentist and doctor check ups
• Be happy