In many ways, evolution happens because of mutations in the DNA of the germ cells. These mutations can cause the offspring to have different characteristics from their parents: sharper teeth, lighter feathers, etc. And such changes accumulate over millions of years.
Cancer also occurs due to evolutionary changes. But already at the level of individual cells in the human body. In this state, the cells compete for nutrients and space in the body. And because different organs are made up of different types of cells, different types of cancer will differ in behavior, appearance, and response to treatment.
Generally, human cells are in the process of being constantly renewed. That is, they die and are replaced by new ones. The process of continuous cell renewal is disrupted due to mutations. As a result, changes occur in the cellular DNA that affect the proteins that make up the cell’s structure and control its behavior. As a result, the cell may begin to multiply faster than others, resist signals that it needs to be regenerated, and isolate nutrients for itself.
In most cases, the immune system kills the mutated cells. However, a tumor consisting of many such cells can also form in the body. These cells continue to mutate and multiply until the tumor spreads throughout the body. And cancers found early in this evolution are easier to treat than those found late.
Normally, cancer cells contain the same set of proteins as healthy cells, and infected cells continue to perform many of the functions of healthy cells. However, cancers can differ in the number of mutations and respond to treatment in different ways. Also, treatment can cause the cancer to develop further.
News cannot be equated with a doctor’s prescription. Consult an expert before making a decision.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
