how little i know...

i saw this article today about cancer and i realized that i know very little about cancer. i thought i would pass it on...

Cancer: What is it, risks, detection, treatment
dailygotham.com

Cancer...it is something that is happening all the time in our bodies, yet most of the time our bodies fight it off with ease. Cancer is nothing more than a cell, part of ourselves, that starts growing uncontrollably. That’s all. And yet it can kill.

With Elizabeth Edwards relapsing after recovering from cancer, I thought it a good idea to give a brief lesson on cancer. This is a topic I am very familiar with. A big chunk of my professional career has involved studying subjects that are related to cancer. I have also seen someone die of cancer. I know what happens in cancer on the level of molecules, cells…and to a whole person and that person’s family.

Cancer is what happens when a cell escapes from the normal controls that limit its ability to divide. Cell division is how we develop from a single cell—a fertilized egg—into a human being. Cell division is how our hair grows, and how our intestinal lining and blood cells constantly replenish themselves. It is also how injuries heal. Cell division is a very tightly regulated process. It isn’t easy for a cell to divide. Our cells are constantly exchanging messages about what’s going on in our bodies, and most of those messages prevent cell division. (more)