Cancer: How it happens.

"We "need" cancer because, by the very fact of its incurability, it makes all other diseases, however virulent, not cancer." - Gilbert Adair

Possibly the most hated disease ever.

Millions of lives claimed, yet - no 'cure'.

But why? 

There are hundreds of different types of cancer; from testicular to breast and most of the body. Some cancers can actually be cured, or at least shrunk and removed - but there is no actual cure for every type of cancer.  Around about 7/10 young kids diagnosed with cancer are cured, which is quite a substantial amount considered there is no 'legitimate' cure. 

Surprised?

Cancers like breast cancer can also be cured, but only if found early (stage 1), most cancers can be cured easily if found early, however - a universal cure will probably never exist. Different cancers react to different things. Some with chemotherapy, some with radiotherapy and some with surgery.

But what is cancer?

Well to start all cancer begins in cells. As you will most likely know our body is made up or many types of cells, and these grow and divide by mitosis, etc. This is controlled in such a way that new cells are produced to replace older one's, in order to keep the human body healthy. When a cell becomes damaged, it dies and is replaced - however...

Sometimes this goes wrong, and the DNA in the cell becomes damaged; changed, producing a mutation that affects division and growth in cells. When this actually happens, your cells don't die when they are supposed to - producing a mutation that affects normal cell growth. When this happens we know that extra cells (that didn't die) form what we know as a tumor.

All tumors aren't dangerous (well...) though, there are two types Benign and Malignant. Benign tumors are not cancerous. They are generally removed and they do not come back (most of the time). Cells in benign tumors do not spread. Malignant tumors however are cancerous. Cells in these tumors can invade parts of the body which are nearest, and then keep spreading.

Cancer. The killer disease. Do you think there will ever be a universal cure for it? If there ever is then this will save many lives - however, I do not think we will ever achieve this 'grand unification' of cures, so we can cure all of it. 

Thanks for reading, Ben.