The Causes Of Development Of Cancer - 945 Words

My main focus for this essay was to learn the main causes of development of cancer and just a better overall understanding of cancer as a whole because it is related to a few of the units we have covered. Cancer is a word that no one wants to hear or read about, but many are faced with this word every day. It can affect people of all ages and genders. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, cancer is a disease that starts in our cells. Genes inside each cell instruct the cell to grow, work, reproduce or die. When cells follow all instruction normally, everything works just fine. However, when cells get instructions wrong, cells can form tumors or lumps. They can also spread throughout the bloodstream and lymphatic system,†¦show more content†¦Commonly, a mass of malignant cells is called a cancer. Oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes and DNA repair genes are three types of cancer genes. People may inherit a mutated version of one of these genes which will make them more likely to develop a certain type of cancer. Oncogenes cause cells to grow out of control and promote cancer cell growth. They are a damaged version of the normal proto-oncogenes in our bodies. Tumour suppressor genes are genes that would, in a healthy person, protect us from cancer. They help us stop cell growth and control cell death. When these cells are missing or damaged they cause cell growth, division and death to be uncontrolled. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, â€Å"nearly 50% of all cancers are thought to involve a damaged or missing tumour suppressor gene.† DNA repair genes are responsible for repairing damaged genes. During copying of DNA, if mutations occur, they are there to fix the mistakes. These three genes are the main causes of cancer related mutations. Cancer development is a long process involving many steps. Usually it takes many years because several genetic mutations are required. Typically, many years pass between exposure to a cancer causing event or agent and the cancer actually developing. Typically, we see cancer in older ages because mutations have built up and they may have had more