Could someone explain how cancer works?

Question

I get the cell mutilation stuff sort of, but I don't get how it can kill you.

Answer 1

It can kill you in many ways.

1st, cancer in and of itself causes a pro-coagulable state, which pre-disposes you do life threatening clots (pulmonary embolism, DVT's)

2nd, when the cancer cells become numerous in number, they compete with healthy cells for nutrition and can "starve" them. They intrinsically have a higher metabolic rate anyhow.

3rd. The growth can destroy vital tissue in organs needed to live by displacing them/spreading into them depending on the cancer.

4. The cancer cells turn over quickly and the by products of metabolism can overwhelm the bodies ability to clear them, and high levels can be toxic.

These are the main ones, there are some others.

I hope that helps!

Answer 2

Cancer is caused by mutations in genes that are expressed in cells. This turns the normal cell into a cell that does not follow the norms, it grows without boundaries, require less nutrients to grow, and is not subjected to the usual gatekeeper/cell cycle control mechanism that dictates the life of other cells.

So it grows. And grows in such a way that it is not useful.

Cancer causes :

1. Site specific effects.
a) It impinges on nearby organs (so in cases of throat cancer, the tumour obstructs airflow, suffocating the patient, or if you have cancer of the prostate, this blocks off the urethra, and so no urine flow...etc)
b) Organ derangement, so if for example you have liver cancer, your liver doesn't function as well...and without your liver, you die.
c) Causes accumulation of fluid where there should be little, for example, lung cancer can cause pleural effusion (which is fluid in the lining of the lungs) leading to progressive shortness of breath etc.

2. Systemic effects (whole body effects)
a) Cancer increases your metabolism. Breaks down protein. Causes you to get really thin (cachexia) and malnourished. You lose your appetite. And slowly waste away.
b) Elaboration of chemicals. Cancers release certain chemicals into the blood that causes derangement in blood clotting, causes changes in immunoregulation (so how your body fights off infections) etc.
c) Elaboration of hormones. Certain cancers can release hormones that mess up your norma body system, For example, some lung cancer release a hormone that causes increased in certain electrolytes (salts) in the blood (and this isn't good).

Answer 3

Our cells are constantly replenished through the mechanism of cell multiplication. when something goes wrong in the process of cell mitosis (cell copies itself and becomes two identical cells and so on) then we have a carcinogenic cell which then starts producing more carcinogenic cells through the same multiplication process (mitosis). Thus if for example this happens to a cell in the brain then it eventually leads to the formation of a tumor of such "problematic" cells. This affects your brain in a number of ways depending on severity of the tumor, its size, location and so on. it could cause oxygen deprivation on the brain or simply shut down important functions which lead to death. Likewise when cancer appears on other organs it causes similarly organ failure and eventually death. Finally another nasty tendency of cancer cells is that of migration. Meaning that even if the cells are killed or removed from the organism cancer can still reappear in another part of our body. I hope i helped, take care.

Answer 4

My own Mommy (I still call her that) passed away from cancer. She faught it since I was two years old. Gosh we talked a bunch about it.

No one EXACTLY knows what CAUSES cancer, but it spreads everywhere that you sometimes have to remove it. You take Kemo Therapy (I believe thats how you spell it) and it makes you loose your hair-- it will grow back though. Usually it will work for a while, but there is no full cure for cancer. Anyone can get it at anytime.

However, my mommy was in a position where if part of her brain let go of some muscle, she would die instantly. That's exactly what happened. Anyways, I hope that was what you were asking about and that I answered it fully.

Bri

Answer 5

Mutation, not mutilation. :)

The cancer cells are not normal. The more they take over, the less effective the organ becomes, so it eventually fails.

Answer 6

Uncontrolled cell division can and does cause problems including death. Cancer doesn't work. Cancer kills unless treated properly.

Answer 7

Cancers are mulitated cells (DNA mutitation) that "disable" self destruction, and the cells multiplies out of control, which invades and destroy other tissues in your body...

you can read more in the link below...

Answer 8

They take over and destroy the healthy cells within your body, preventing them to replicate so you can continue to live.

Answer 9

I'm pretty sure it just fills up your infected area and provents them from functioning well. Like with lung cancer I'm assuming that it would limit the O2 you got which isn't good? >.>