Pathophysiology of Cancer, Reaction Paper Example

Cancer is a group of over 150 processes of diseases that are characterized by spread and uncontrolled growth of cells. Cancer is not a specific, singular diseases but a variety of tissue responses that leads to uncontrolled growth (McCance & Roberts, 1998). Cells make up tissues. Healthy cells have specific structure, growth rate, size and function that serve the needs of the tissues tat they make up. Cancerous cells differ from normal tissues cells in structure, growth rate, size and function. Cancerous cells do not have the controls for growth rates observed in healthy cells, and their growth is uncontrolled. The uncontrolled growth allows cancerous cells to attack the surrounding organs, tissues and cells. Malignant cells may also invade other areas of the body through the lymphatic or cardiovascular systems. The spread and uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells may eventually interfere with one or more of an individual’s major organs and possibly result into death. The main metastasis sites of cancer are the liver, lymph nodes, brain and lungs (McCance & Roberts, 1998).

Unlike normal healthy cells, malignant cells are not able to change or differentiate. In Dysplasia, cells differ from their parent cells in organization, shape, or size. Dysplasia is usually the result of prolonged irritation such as the changes observed in cervical tissues from long-term cervix irritation. The first level of Dysplasia is metaplasia or early Dysplasia. Metaplasia is a benign, reversible but abnormal cellular changes observed when one type of cell changes into another. The commonest type of metaplasia is observed in the epithelium of the respiratory track in which columnar epithelial cells transform into squamous epithelial cells. While most metaplaia stages give rise to consistent arrangement of cells, sometimes unordered patterns occur. Unordered patterns typically result in cells of wrong shape, size or orientation and may result into faulty or inappropriate tissue behaviors (McCance & Roberts, 1998). Anaplasia is an advanced form of metaplasia which defines the characteristics of cancerous cells.

The increase the number of tissue cells or section of the tissue is referred to as hyperplasia. Hyperplasia results into in crease of tissue mass or size. It can occur as a result of physiologic alterations or a sign of malignancy. A good example of normal hyperplasia is the increase in tissue mass during the healing of wounds, formation of callus after a borne fracture or increase in breast size during pregnancy. Abnormal hyperplasia is observed in “Neoplastic Hyperplasia,” which is the increase in the mass of cell as a result of tumor formation (McCance & Roberts, 1998).

There are considerable differences in the growth rates of malignant tumors. Some tumors grow slowly, and are consequently easy to remove. Others have initial slow growth rates but grow rapidly in their advanced stages. Yet others grow rapidly in their entire existence. Tissue development and growth are affected by the number of actively spreading and growing tumors, status of a person’s immune system, and the rate at which normal cells are destroyed the tumor.  The immune function is affected by several factors including malnutrition, stress, chronic diseases and advanced age. Cancer also appears to suppress the immune system in the late process of the disease (McCance & Roberts, 1998). Uncontrolled growth rates of cells may result from mutation of the genetic material, tumor viruses or errors in genetic repair or replication process (McCance & Roberts, 1998).

References

McCance, K.L. & Roberts, S.E.(1998). Biology of Cancer in Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby Publishing Company.