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Baptistery - 2024 │ Message from Different Students
distant places in the body happen because they were to grow and survive when
to form new tumors (a inherited from our parents they should not.
process called metastasis). also. Tumor suppressor genes are
Cancerous tumors may also The body normally also involved in controlling
be called malignant tumors. eliminates cells with cell growth and division.
Many cancers form solid damaged DNA before they Cells with certain alterations
tumors, but cancers of the turn cancerous. But the in tumor suppressor
blood, such as leukemias, body’s ability to do so goes genes may divide in an
generally do not. down as we age. This is part uncontrolled manner.
of the reason why there is
Benign tumors do not a higher risk of cancer later DNA repair genes are
spread into, or invade, in life. Each person’s cancer involved in fixing damaged
nearby tissues. When has a unique combination of DNA. Cells with mutations
removed, benign tumors genetic changes. in these genes tend to
usually don’t grow back, develop additional mutations
whereas cancerous tumors As the cancer continues to in other genes and changes in
sometimes do. Benign grow, additional changes their chromosomes, such as
tumors can sometimes be will occur. Even within the duplications and deletions of
quite large, however. Some same tumor, different cells chromosome parts. Together,
can cause serious symptoms may have different genetic these mutations may
or be life threatening, such changes. cause the cells to become
as benign tumors in the cancerous.
brain. TYPES OF GENES THAT
CAUSE CANCER SAME CANCER RISK
Cancer is a genetic disease FACTORS
that is, it is caused by chan- The genetic changes that
ges to genes that control contribute to cancer tend As mentioned, some cancers,
the way our cells function, to affect three main types particularly in adults,
especially how they grow of genes-proto-oncogenes, have been associated with
and divide. tumor suppressor genes, repetitive exposures or
and DNA repair genes. risk factors. A risk factor is
Genetic changes that These changes are anything that may increase
cause cancer can happen sometimes called “drivers” a person’s chance of
because of errors that of cancer. developing a disease. A risk
occur as cells divide. Also factor does not necessarily
can happen because of Proto-oncogenes are cause the disease, but it may
damage to DNA caused by involved in normal cell make the body less resistant
harmful substances in the growth and division. to it.
environment, such as the However, when these genes
chemicals in tobacco smoke are altered in certain ways Lifestyle factors. Smoking,
and ultraviolet rays from the or are more active than a high-fat diet, and working
sun. (Our Cancer Causes normal, they may become with toxic chemicals are
and Prevention section has cancer-causing genes (or examples of lifestyle choices
more information.) It can oncogenes), allowing cells that may be risk factors for 35
MAGAZINE OF COLLEGE ST JEAN NYARUSANGE │ VOLUME 07 │ 2023-2024
