Youtube Username of Uploader: Cheryl Van Buskirk
Published: August 4, 2012
Summary
This video explains how cancer forms. A total of three mutations are necessary. The proto-oncogenes, genes that help our cells divide, have to be jammed on, causing the cells to divide even when cell division is not necessary. Second, the tumor suppressor genes need to be turned off, allowing the cells not licensed, to divide. Thirdly, the cells have to become malignant, meaning that they can invade other tissues. Most cells stop when they meet another tissue, and cells with only the first two prerequisites are known as benign instead of malignant. In addition, if a cancer moves from one place to another, through the lymph vessels or our bloodstream, then it is considered metastatic. Because the majority of these mutations occur during our lifetime and during the growth of the tumor, early detection is incredibly important.
Relevance
Cancer is discussed in Concept 9.4 of our textbook, and the terms "benign tumor", "malignant tumor", "cancer", and "metastasis" were key words in that lesson. This video further explains how benign tumors can lead to malignant tumors, and that metastasis is not a characteristic of all cancers. In addition, it emphasizes the difference between benign and malignant tumors.
What do you mean the genes have to be jammed on? How are they jammed on?
ReplyDeleteIf the proto-oncogenes become mutated in a certain way, they become overactive or 'jammed on'.
DeleteWhat are some examples of cancer treatments and percentage of the cancer treatments actually work?
ReplyDeleteTwo examples of cancer treatments are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy involves treating the patient with drugs that disrupt cell division, and radiation therapy exposes the parts of the body with cancerous tumors to high-energy radiation, which also disrupts cell division. These two treatments are usually combined. In breast cancer, the success rate is above 50%. In many other cancers, the success rate is below that.
DeleteHow do the tumors become malignant?
ReplyDeleteTwo mutations must occur: the mutations involving the proto-oncogenes and the tumor suppressor. At this point, the tumor is benign, which means it only grows until it bumps into another tissue. However, since within any tumor there is genetic variation, some of those variants may have the ability to keep dividing. Those are known as malignant tumors.
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