Biology of cancers and tumors

BIOLOGY OF CANCER AND TUMOR SPREAD INTRODUCTION • Cancer is a disease process that begins when an abnormal cell is transformed by the genetic mutation of the cellular DNA. • This abnormal cell forms a clone and begins to proliferate abnormally, ignoring growth-regulating signals in the environment surrounding the cell. INTRODUCTION • The cells acquire invasive characteristics, and changes occur in surrounding tissues. • The cells infiltrate these tissues and gain access to lymph and blood vessels, which carry the cells to other areas of the body (metastasis ) CANCER CHARACTERISTICS AND TERMINOLOGY • TUMOR -tissue overgrowth that is independent of the laws governing the remainder of the body • CANCER-uncontrolled clonal proliferation of cells that can arise from virtually any cell type in the body”