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Background
Cancer is a menace that plagues our society, tragically leading to suffering. According to recent research published in the Cancer Journal for Clinicians, there were approximately 1,762,450 new cancer cases that resulted in 606,880 deaths in the United States in 2019 (American Cancer Society, 2019). When it comes to cancer, many factors result in it. As such, it is critical to clearly understand the causes of cancer to avoid public misinformation (Goodman, 2019). Scientifically, these factors can be broadly categorized into genetically linked and environmental/lifestyle linked.
Environmental Basis of Cancer
A normal cell typically undergoes cell division in a consistent and regulated manner, a process called mitosis. Normal cells are regulated by specific genes called tumor suppressor genes, particularly TP53 and RB genes, and growth-promoting genes or proto-oncogenes. Sometimes, environmental or genetic factors may affect these genes causing them to mutate. When these genes undergo genomic damage, normal cells proliferate uncontrollably, leading to pre-cancerous conditions (Townsend, 2018). Pre-cancerous cells eventually become cancerous, where it is characterized by metastasis to secondary organs.
Etiology of Cancer
Cancer is a multifactorial disease caused by known carcinogens or genetic mutations. Carcinogens can range from environmental agents such as chemicals, physical, and microbial agents to lifestyle habits, particularly smoking. Chemical agents, for instance, polycyclic hydrocarbons and aromatic amines, are known causes of skin, lung, breast, and bladder cancers. Specifically, aromatic amines are converted to potent carcinogens in the liver. Additionally, microbial agents, for example, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), cause cervical cancer by producing oncoproteins that inactivate tumor suppressor genes (The 7 viruses that cause cancer, 2018; NIH National Cancer Institute, 2020).
Current and Future Treatments
Currently, effective cancer treatments are under clinical trials. However, preventive measures, such as vaccination against HPV and Hepatitis B viruses, are effective measures to combat cancer (The 7 viruses that cause cancer, 2018; NIH National Cancer Institute, 2020). In cancer, antineoplastic drugs such as Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, and Vinca alkaloids are effective against many malignant diseases. Radiation therapy is also used to treat cancer. Future treatment regimens will incorporate the use of immune cells, such as T-lymphocytes, human microbiomes, and genetic editing to attack only cancerous cells, eventually producing a better prognosis (Wayne, 2017).
References
American Cancer Society. (2019). Cancer facts and figures. Web.
Goodman, J. R. (2019). Confused about cancer? New Scientist, 241(3216), 34–37. Web.
The 7 viruses that cause cancer, (2018). MD Anderson Center. Web.
NIH National Cancer Institute. (2020). HPV and cancer. Web.
Townsend J. P. (2018). The cancer tree. Scientific American, 318(4), 34–41. Web.
Wayne, E. (2017). We can hack our immune cells to fight cancer [Video]. TED. Web.
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