| The most dreaded and rapidly increasing disease in | | | | active only under specific conditions or stimuli called |
| today's technology driven World is Cancer- the result | | | | co-factors or cancer triggers. |
| of unscrupulous and ruthless use of chemicals, | | | | The fight against cancer depends upon early detection |
| particularly man made chemicals, in the modern civilized | | | | of the disease. Rapid advances in technology have |
| world. | | | | made early detection of the cancer, a reality. New |
| What exactly is cancer? Biologically speaking it is a | | | | imaging techniques like X rays, CT scans, MRI scan, |
| disease of uncontrolled division of cells. In our body | | | | PET scan and ultrasound scan are regular diagnostic |
| cells divide continuously to replace worn out or | | | | tools. Advances in surgical oncology along with new |
| damaged cells. But sometimes control mechanism may | | | | imaging devices have made hither to inaccessible |
| go haywire courtesy stimuli from various factors. This | | | | areas like base of the skull under the category of |
| otherwise controlled and organized process becomes | | | | curable cancers. Similarly advances in Radiation |
| uncontrolled and unorganized resulting in a plethora of | | | | Oncology like development of Cyberknife, targeted |
| cells good for nothing. It is this mass of rapidly growing | | | | chemotherapy and organ preservation in minimum |
| cells that forms tumor or cancer. | | | | invasive surgery to prevent damage to the healthy |
| Cancer can affect any part of the body-brain, | | | | cells, reducing trauma of the patient. |
| intestines, lungs, pancreas, liver, ovaries, skin and what | | | | Oncology today has entered in to an era of |
| not. Cancers are of two types-Benign and malignant or | | | | personalized cancer treatment. Biotechnology and |
| metastatic. Benign cancer does not spread. It is the | | | | Bioinformatics are helping us to design tailor made |
| malignant or metastatic cancer which is more | | | | drugs for the treatment of cancer based on the unique |
| dangerous as it starts spreading to other parts of the | | | | genetic makeup of the patient or tumor. Clinical trials |
| body. | | | | are underway to determine the efficacy of such |
| Advances in technology have changed the way | | | | drugs. Bevacizumab is one such molecule approved |
| cancer is perceived, understood and treated. Scientific | | | | by USFAD to treat deadly Glioblastoma. However, |
| understanding about the disease says that it is a | | | | these molecules are prohibitively costly. |
| disease encrypted in our genes. These potential | | | | With exciting new therapeutics in the pipe line, can |
| cancer causing genes are called Oncogenes. | | | | cancer finally be conquered? |
| Oncogenes are present in our genome but become | | | | |