How do cancer cells behave differently from healthy ones?

How do cancer cells behave differently from healthy ones? 

Question 1 

Cell division results in millions of cells, which eventually form tissues to organs; thus, growth. 

Question 2 

When cells experience unregulated cell division, it results in cancer. 

Question 3 

The cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. 

Question 4 

Chemotherapeutics works by physically shredding the cell's DNA and disrupting the cell's copying machinery. 

Question 5 

Chemotherapeutic drugs do not discriminate against cancerous and healthy cells. The bloodstream transports chemotherapeutics in the entire body system; hence, chemotherapeutic drugs attack healthy cells and cancer cells. 

Question 6 

Patients experience hair loss, skin rashes, and other unpleasant side effects when chemotherapeutic drugs attack healthy dividing cells and paralyses the tissue types. 

How does Cancer Spread Through the Body? 

Question 7 

Metastasis is the process of cancer spreading across the human body. 

Question 8 

Cancer spreading occurs in three common routes, namely transcoelomic spread, lymphatic spread, and hematogenous spread. 

Question 9 

The two conflicting theories are Steven Paget's "Seed and soil theory" and James Ewing's theory. Paget suggested that cancer cells perish easily in the wrong microenvironment. Besides, Paget suggested that cancer cells metastasize in locations with similar characteristics. Ewing challenged Paget's theory when he opined that vascular and lymphatic channels determined the location of metastasis, draining the primary tumor. 

Question 10 

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment by harnessing the immune system's power to destroy migrating cancerous cells. Immunotherapy occurs in different ways. Firstly, vaccines are used to assist immune cells in identifying migrating cancer cells. Secondly, man-made interleukins are injected to stimulate the growth of immune cells to control metastasis. 

Why is it so hard to cure cancer? 

Question 11 

Researchers study cell lines grown from human tumors to develop cancer cures. However, the cell lines do not provide adequate information compared to actual tumors in living organisms. Therefore, drugs tested on lab-grown cell lines will work while actual tumors in living organisms will be resistant to the drugs, leading to failed clinical trials. Secondly, aggressive tumors have multiple populations with different cancerous cells, which results in unique subclones. Thus, researchers face problems as drugs tested on one subclone may fail to work on another. Thirdly, tumor cells can communicate with healthy cells, leading to the formation of blood vessels to nourish and remove waste products from the cells. Besides, tumor cells can suppress the immune system's functions, which hinders it from destroying cancerous cells. 

Question 12 

Cancer cells are hard to cure due to stem cells that make them resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. Suppose the tumor shrinks; a single stem cell can induce a new tumor's growth due to constant replication of the cells. Cancer cells are also hard to cure due to their effective adaptation. They can adjust their molecular and cellular characteristics to thrive under stressful conditions. When subjected to chemotherapy and radiation, cancerous cells change their gene expression; thus, shielding the treatment. 

The immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks 

Question 13 

HeLa cells are immortal cells used in scientific research. 

Question 14 

These cells are named after Henrietta Lacks. 

Question 15 

HeLa cells are special because they cannot die, especially outside the body like in most cell lines. Hence, they are termed immortal.   

Question 16 

Research using HeLa cells is termed unethical since studies were done without Henrietta's or her family's consent.