By: L A Parmley

All tissues have linings around them to keep the different cell types (those of the tissue and those outside the tissue) separate. In instances where angiogenesis has occured, the tumor cells may break through these linings which act as boundaries limiting normal growth. This is termed tumor invasion.

An invasive tumor breaks through the membrane, or the lining of the tissue. Several events must occur in order for a tumor to become invasive. First, a tumor cell must actually break away from the rest of the tissue mass. It will then need to move toward the lining of the tissue. The cell moves by extending little blebs or “fingers” that allow it to crawl along in a specific direction - similar to the way a snail moves.

Once at the membrane, the tumor cell will have to release several particular enzymes, all acting to dissolve the membrane lining away. If this can be achieved, the tumor cell will move into the new space on the other side of the membrane. It will have broken the normal limits of cell growth in the tissue.

The invasion by the tumor will allow it to spread to another tissue type or possibly a capillary. Capillaries may lead to a blood vessel, which would grant the tumor cell access to the blood stream. If this happens, metastasis, or tumor spreading may occur.

Metastasis is the most serious stage of cancer. Tumor metastasis occurs when a few tumor cells have separated from the tumor mass and have “seeded” themselves at one or more new regions in the body. Once in this new area, they will multiply and eventually crowd out the normal cells. At some point, nearby tissues and organs may become so crowded they will not be capable of performing the functions necessary to maintain life.

Metastasis occurs when tumor cells move away and seed themselves in tissues that are distant from the original tumor. Most often, the tumor metastasizes to the lymph nodes nearest the tumor. The tumor cells travel to a new area by moving through the blood stream or the lymph stream of the immune system. The cells move through the blood or lymph stream until they reach a capillary wall. They make their way through it by dissolving the wall (or membrane) and moving through the space into the new tissue. In this manner, the tumor will “seed” itself to a new area.

Fortunately, the few tumor cells that do make their way into the bloodstream do not survive for very long in the blood. Less than 0.1% actually survive the journey to metastasize.

Oddly enough, most cases of metastasis are to only a few different tissues. Usually, the metastasis occurs to a patient’s lung or their lymph nodes. Researchers believe that certain chemicals may be released by these organs that somehow attract tumor cells. This is a currently an important area of study because many more patients could be treated successfully if metastasis could be stopped.

It has been estimated that about 50% of all cancer patients may have metastasis by the time they are finally diagnosed and treated. The chances of successfully treating metastatic disease with current therapies is less than the chance of successfully treating pre-metastatic disease. However, there are many instances where patients with even extremely severe cases of metastatic cancer are cured. With the numerous new discoveries, the chances of curing metastatic disease will only climb in the future.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

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by: Bo Carpenter

It's a fact that every day, cells in your body divide, grow and die. Most of the time they do it in an orderly manner. But sometimes they grow out of control. This type of cell growth forms a mass or lump called a tumor. Tumors can either benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are not cancerous. But left untreated, some can pose a health risk, so they are often removed. When these tumors are removed, they typically do not reappear. Most importantly, the cells of a benign tumor do not spread to other parts of the body or invade nearby tissue.

Malignant tumors are made of abnormal cells. Malignant tumor cells can invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body. A malignant tumor that develops in the breast is called breast cancer.

To continue growing, malignant breast tumors need to be fed. They get nourishment by developing new blood vessels in a process called angiogenesis. The new blood vessels supply the tumor with nutrients that promote growth. As the malignant breast tumor grows, it can expand into nearby tissue. This process is called invasion. Cells can also break away from the primary, or main, tumor and spread to other parts of the body. The cells spread by traveling through the blood stream and lymphatic system. This process is called metastasis.

When malignant breast cells appear in a new location, they begin to divide and grow out of control again as they create another tumor. Even though the new tumor is growing in another part of the body, it is still called breast cancer. The most common locations of breast cancer metastases are the lymph nodes, liver, brain, bones and lungs.

There are genes that control the way our cells divide and grow. When these genes don't work like they should, a genetic error, or mutation, has occurred. Mutations may be inherited or spontaneous. Inherited mutations are ones you were born with — an abnormal gene that one of your parents passed on to you at birth. Inherited mutations of specific genes, such as the BRCAI and BRCA2 genes, increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

Spontaneous mutations can occur within your body during your lifetime. The actual cause or causes of mutations still remains unknown. Researchers have identified two types of genes that are important to cell growth. Errors in these genes turn normal cells into cancerous ones.

You need to be aware that cells may be growing out of control before any symptoms of the disease appear. That is why breast screening to find any early changes is so important. The sooner a problem is found, the better a your chance is for survival.

Experts recommend that women 40 years and older have a mammogram every year. If you have a history of breast cancer in your family, talk with your doctor about risk assessment, when to start getting mammograms and how often to have them. If your mother or sister had breast cancer before menopause, you may need to start getting mammograms and yearly clinical breast exams before age 40. It is important for all women to have clinical breast exams done by a health care provider at least every three years starting at age 20 and every year after age 40 and to do breast self-exams once every month starting by age 20.

PANDORA is pleased to announce its support of Susan G. Komen For The Cure. For 2007, a guaranteed minimum contribution of $25,000 and a portion of the sales from the pink ribbon charm will go to the organization.

For each pink ribbon charm sold, PANDORA will donate a percentage of the proceeds to Susan G. Komen For The Cure to help eradicate breast cancer through research, education, screening, and treatment.

Lewis Jewelers is proud to carry the full line of Pandora Jewelry. For more information, contact Lewis Jewelers at 877-88-LEWIS or visit www.pandorabraceletsusa.com .

source:searchwarp.com/

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