Cancer: The Costs, Causes, And Cures Essay -- essays research papers

Cancer The Costs, Causes, and CuresCancer is a major killer of people all around the globe. We do not have a decisive cure, but the amount of research done on this one disease costs on theaverage of $1.2 billion dollars annually, and $20 billion annually in care of pubic louse patients.What is Cancer?Cancer is a broad ranging term that is used by many an(prenominal) people, including medicalprofessionals such as doctors. Cancer, in its just about fatal and aggressive form, isof a larger class of diseases known as neoplasms. There are two forms of aneoplasm benign or malignant. A benign neoplasm is encapsulated, or surrounded,so that its growth is restricted, whereas a malignant neoplasm is not closed in.Malignant tumors grow much more cursorily than benign forms and spread into thesurrounding normal tissue, and virtually destroy it, (Grolier Electronic cyclopaedia, Cancer).The question is, what exactly is cancer? Cancer, is the break down and mutationof the cells of the body, when the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) sequences inthose molecules are disrupted and errors form in the structures, (Grolier,Genetic Code). This mutation spreads through surrounding tissue until itdisrupts major systems in the body (such as respiratory, digestive and expendmanagement) cause that system to fail.What causes Cancer to become active?Since it is believed that almost all people have some type of cancer in theirbody, (although benign), any someone that comes in contact with a carcinogen,(any cancer-causing agent), will cause these benign cells to become malignant.It is when the cells become malignant, that cancer actually occurs. Cancer, inthis context, can be caused by many different agents chemical, biological orphysical.Chemical AgentsChemicals that can cause a benign cell to become active include things such as labyrinthine hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, certain metals, drugs, hormones, andnaturally occurring chemicals in plants and molds. Hydrocarbons and nitrosaminescan be found in cigarette smoke and may contribute to the condition called "lungcancer". former(a) chemicals that seem to cause incidents of "bladder cancer", suchas 2-naphthylamine, were used in the dye industry for dyeing cloth, but when anumber of cases of cancer turned up, its use was discontinued. Vinyl Chloride, achemical gas, has also appeared, seeming to cause "liver can... ...ct the end of mostmajor diseases early in the succeeding(a) century. Once we are able to read and modifythe data and instructions found in our own DNA, we can directly access the waywe as living beings will grow and evolve. However, we will have another problem,and that is of population. If there are no diseases to disrupt the growth of ourpopulation on this planet, we will curtly overcrowd, and we may not yet have thetechnology to leave this world. However, I think we will still be better offwithout cancer.ReferencesTetzeli, R. (1990). Can force Lines Give You Cancer? FORTLINE Maga zine, 49, 80-85Pitot, H.C. M.D. et al. (1992) Cancer. Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia,1992 ed.Searchphrases CANCER, GENETIC CODE, DNA, RNAClarke, D. & Dartford, M. ( 1992). Cancer Treatment. How It Works The NewIllustratedScience and Invention Encyclopedia, 414-418Abeloff, M.D. et al (1991) Cancer. Encyclopedia Britannica Macropedia, 534-542Drill, V.A. et al (1991) Drugs and Drug Action - Chemotherapy. EncyclopediaBritannicaMacropedia, 553-560American Cancer Society et al (1992) Cancer. Comptons MultimediaEncyclopedia,1992 ed.Search phrases CANCER, CHEMOTHERAPY, GENETICS