Cancer is the result of the accumulation of changes in the genetic material (mutations) that allow the cancer cell to survive, proliferate and invade other healthy organs. Environmental factors (smoking, sun exposure, radiation etc), chronic inflammatory processes (viral infections, etc) and host-related factors (obesity, hereditary conditions, etc) are important in the carcinogenesis process (formation of cancers). The human body has more than one hundred trillion cells, dividing every day from the very first day we are born, except for brain and nerve cells. Every second of our lives, one million cells die (apoptosis) due to aging, and new cells replace them with the exact same DNA material. During this process, things can go awry and the body (including immune system) attempts to rectify the mistakes or destroy those wrongdoings. Cancer occurs when an altered DNA sequence (mutation) remains occult or disguises itself to allow that cell to survive. The newly formed mutated cell then will have to learn many other abilities (further mutations) before it becomes malignant and proliferates and invade other organs. The immune system plays an important role in protecting our organisms from external invaders (bacteria, viruses, fungus, etc) and also maintaining the balance among other cells, destroying unwanted extras. The immune system has the ability to recognise every molecule in the universe (diversity), to react to a specific event (specificity) and to memorise that event (memory) so it can mount a big defence if confronted again. pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 31
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Nine
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