Cancer- How to understand

Cancer: In simple terms

Dr. Jeru Manoj,Ph D.,  Canada. Apr 5 2018

The word cancer rings an alarm in almost everyone and is widespread. However, very few know what a Cancer is actually. We like to explain cancer in simple terms for it to be understood by any individual.

Consider the Human Body to be like a population which is made up different people. The population keeps growing with each reproduction and diversification too happens due to mixing of cultures.

Similarly, every tissue in a human keep growing and gets diversified, the tissue is made up of basic units known as cells.  For growth to occur, these cells have to be continuously functioning and dividing, similar to population growth where every individual has to work.  The decisions of which are taken by the central coding unit, which is known as DNA in a cell and government/ law of constitution in a population.

However, every thing has a limit and growth cannot go on for ever. There is a regulatory organization which control efficient/smooth functioning. Similarly,  there is some regulation which occurs at the cellular level too.  The authority for regulation within the cell lies with a set around 300 genes known as DNA repair genes, they efficiently function to protect the cell and control their growth. But, in practical things cannot be controlled all the time, some authorities do err, or are forced to due to bigger exterior influence. Accumulation of such errors are termed as mutations in scientific terms. When the accumulation crosses a limit, the cells go out of limit.

In simple terms, some regulators tend to be relaxed due to external pressures for a very long time, leading to irregularities. Now, an other group of regulators need to be activated to control the situation, but the initial miscreants tend to out number and dominate.

Therefore dysregulation becomes the norm and body starts accepting extra growth. This is what happens in a population too, people get used to troubles in the surrounding.

This troubled state which primarily occurs as an adaptation to the inner and outer surrounding is termed as Cancer. The currently prevailing situation in cities like Bangalore which have become over-populated!!