Is Cancer a Germ?

Question

What is it exactly?

If we eat meat that was infected with cancer... Can cooking the meat kill the cancer cells?

Yeah.. I have cancer but always wondered where it came from EXACTLY.

Answer 1

Cancer is not a germ, although there are certain viruses that can cause certain forms of cancer. Cancer is caused by cells growing out of control and taking over.

In a normal cell, proteins are produced based on the cell's DNA, and those proteins do different things in the cell that make it do all the things cells do. In multicellular organisms, one of the things that cells do is not grow when they're not supposed to. There are genes that encode proteins have various functions that help make a skin cell stay put and be a skin cell and not keep dividing when there's already enough skin there, or a liver cell stay where it is and not divide out of control. But if the sequence of bases in the DNA that makes up these genes gets damaged somehow (because of exposure to certain chemicals or radiation, or just plain chance), sometimes it won't be able to produce a functional protein anymore. When that happens, there's nothing to make the cell stay put and be a good skin cell, liver cell, etc. So the cell grows out of control, and that's cancer.

Cancer cells are characterized by rapid, inappropriate growth (i.e. they grow really fast, even when they're not supposed to), and a sort of un-differentiated physiology (so they're just kind of generic cells rather than cells of whatever type of tissue they started from). They have an unfortunate tendency to consume nutrients and take up space, which starts to interfere with the growth and function of normal, healthy cells. Without medical treatement (and often even despite the best efforts of highly skilled doctors), the cancer cells will eventually take over to the extent that the healthy cells in certain organs can no longer function sufficiently to support life, and the patient will die.

Generally, cancer cannot be transmitted from person to person, or from animals to humans (although there are a few extremely rare cancer-causing viruses than can theoretically be transmitted from person to person) because the immune system will recongize the cancer cells as being foreign and kill them, rather than allowing them to take up residence in the body. I've worked with cancer cells growing in petri dishes in biology labs before, and they're not considered dangerous, and getting them on you wouldn't be a worry (although you still have to wear gloves, it's only so bacteria from your hands don't contaminate the medium, not to protect you from the cells). Actually, the biggest risk for getting cancer is from certain chemicals that you won't encounter in everyday life but that we sometimes use in a laboratory setting (particularly to induce mutations in cells or organisms we're studying) that damage DNA and consequently increase the chances of the particular mutations that lead to cancer developing. Also, spending too much time in the sun without sunscreen can increase your risk of skin cancer because the UV radiation damages your DNA.

To my knowledge, the only time that cancer cells can theoretically be transmitted from one person to another and actually cause cancer in the recipient is during and organ transplant, because doctors take various measures to ensure that the recipients immune system won't attack the donor organ cells. If the liver (or whatever organ you like) cells are similar enough to the recipient's own cells, and the patient is also taking immunosurpresent drugs, their body won't recognize the donor liver cells as foreign. So they also won't recognize cancer cells from that other individual. But doctors are always really careful that the organs they are transplanting are completely healthy, so this is pretty much just a theoretical possibility.

Answer 2

Cancer is actually a group of many related diseases that all have to do with cells. Cells are the very small units that make up all living things, including the human body. There are billions of cells in each person's body.

Cancer happens when cells that are not normal grow and spread very fast. Normal body cells grow and divide and know to stop growing. Over time, they also die. Unlike these normal cells, cancer cells just continue to grow and divide out of control and don't die.

Cancer cells usually group or clump together to form tumors (say: too-mers). A growing tumor becomes a lump of cancer cells that can destroy the normal cells around the tumor and damage the body's healthy tissues. This can make someone very sick.

Sometimes cancer cells break away from the original tumor and travel to other areas of the body, where they keep growing and can go on to form new tumors. This is how cancer spreads. The spread of a tumor to a new place in the body is called metastasis

Answer 3

Cancer is not a germ. Every human has cancer cells in their body, but a healthy immune system keeps them at bay so the cells cannot reproduce.
This is why people with AIDs frequently show up with cancers such as lymphoma. They are immunocompromized and develop cancer.
Immunity has a lot to do with cancer.

Answer 4

Cancer is not a germ. Cancer is a process in which the body unable to control the growth of a particular cell i.e. skin, lung, bowel. Thus this leads to continued proliferation of the cells which have lots of blood supply. The cancer cells sometimes produce factors i.e. hormones, signals etc to keep growing despite the body "tells" them to stop "growing.

Answer 5

No. Cancer not spread as a germ, although I think there are certain viral infections that can greatly increase your chances of getting cancer. HPV for example.

Cancer is a basically one of many kinds of genetic disorders that cause cells in certain areas of your body to grow uncontrollably.

http://www.cancer-guides.com
http://www.freedom-from-genital-warts.com

Answer 6

If cancer where a germ, then it could be eliminated. Scientists believe that cancer is a virus, which makes the cells change their DNA & replicate.

Answer 7

Cancer is more of a result than a cause. It is basically the mutation of cells into uncontrollably multiplying cells. The mutation can be caused by any number of things.

Answer 8

It is a virus. It is not alive. It is a group of molecules designed to reproduce exactly into another group of molecules. It get's its energy to reproduce by taking chemicals and molecules from cells, of which kills the cells. The virus then takes up the place of the dissolved and dead cell.

Answer 9

No, germs indicate that something is contagious like a cold. Cancer is an overactive cell and it is not contagious.

Answer 10

Cancer is actually a disease .There are different kinds of Cancer too.