Cancer

Although often viewed as a single disease, cancer is actually a group of complex diseases
that affect a wide range of cell & tissues. It is considered as a genetic disorder at cellular level.
Mutations that results in an alteration of genome or an altered expression of gene products is a
common feature of all cancers. Cancers arise when critical genes are mutated or when such genes are
introduced by a virus.
Cancer results in the formation of tumors, which can be of two types :1. Malignant :- When cells detach from a tumor & invade the surrounding tissues i.e called
metastasis.
2. Benign
:- Cells do not invade surrounding tissues.
Uncontrolled growth and the ability to metastasize are 2 common properties of cancer cell.
Agents
The cancerous property of a cell is passed from parents to progeny-cells. It will retain the cancerous
property. The cancer is a genetic change & mutations are responsible for such changes. Thus
everything that cause mutation are potentially cancer causing. Collectively all cancer causing agents
are called carcinogens. Different carcinogens include UV rays , ionizing radiations,a large number of
organic & inorganic chemicals etc.
Some viruses also has oncogenic potential. Such viruses transform cells. Such viruses include several
DNA viruses like Papova viruses, adeno viruses, herpes viruses etc. as well as RNA viruses like rous
circoma virus.
Genetic Basis
The genetic cause for cancer was evident from the following observations :1. Cancerous state is inherited from parental cell to the daughter cell.
2. Induction of cancer by viruses indicate that gene carried by viruses are responsible for cancer.
3. Cancer is caused by agents capable of causing mutations.
4. Certain types of cancers tend to run in families.
5. Leukemias & lymphomas are known to be associated with particular chromosomal
abberations.
It was identified that two broad classes of genes which when mutated produce cancers.
They are,
1. Tumor suppressor gene &
2. Proto-oncogene
Tumor suppressor gene
They are genes that normally function to suppress to cell division. If such genes become
permanently inactive or lost through mutations, control over cell division is lost & the cell begins to
proliferate in an uncontrolable fashion, leading to tumor formation. Proteins encoded by tumor
suppressor genes are involved in many cellular processes including division, differentiation,
programmed cell death & DNA repair.
Oncogenes
The genes that normally function to promote cell division called proto-oncogenes. If a proto-oncogene
become permanently switched on or over-expressed through mutations, then cell division occurs in
uncontrolled fashion leading to tumor formation. That mutant form of the proto-oncogene are known
as oncogenes. They are found in an active state in cancer causing viruses and transformed cells.
Atleast 3 mechanisms are involved in the conversion of proto-oncogenes into oncogenes. They are
point mutation, translocation & over expression