Friday, February 26, 2010

DNA Mutation

Cancer is a condition rather than a disease. It is a condition where the cells start to replicate in an abnormal and uncontrolled way. These cells break the boundaries of other tissues and cells and start spreading into neighboring cells.

They can also spread to other parts of the body through blood. The exact cause for cancer is many. It is however mainly due to the fact that some error signals occur in the cell which causes it to reproduce uncontrollably. 

Mutation of the DNA can also cause cancer. This is due to some agents called mutagens which trigger abnormal growth and replication of cells. Cancer could be due to hormonal imbalances that cause the mutation of cells.

Cancer is also caused due to presence of carcinogens or cancer causing substances like tobacco, asbestos etc. Cancer however can be diagnosed with the help of blood tests, X rays, Ct scans etc. If it is found at an early stage, cancer is treatable and is curable in some cases.

The reason why cancer is very dangerous is there is always a chance of relapse. The cancer cells can’t be destroyed completely. Even if 10 cells remain, the error signals sent by them are more than enough for them to replicate into more cancerous cells.

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