The Increasing Incidence of Cancer in Human Beings Essay

The Increasing Incidence of Cancer in Human Beings - Essay Example Based on the information available currently, it is important to find out how cancer stem cells can be identified. Furthermore the colony cultures developed by cancer stem cells with and without chemotherapeutic drugs need greater analysis. Surface expression markers are often utilised to identify various kinds of cancer causing cells. However there is still great controversy to the behaviour of surface expression markers with respect to different kinds of cancer. Only abundant research in this field can help to positively identify surface expression markers to particular forms of cancer. Such research is essential to identifying and treating cancer to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. 1. Introduction 1.1. Cancer Cancer is a disease wherein the body’s own cells undergo uncontrolled multiplication and growth that leads to very unhealthy states leading to death. Cancer cells possess four characteristic properties which distinguish them from normal cells which ar e uncontrolled proliferation (growth), altered differentiation and loss of function, invasiveness and metastasis. When cells exhibit the characteristics mentioned above leads to a state of malignant tumor. In case of benign tumors the cells do not exhibit capacity to dedifferentiate, invade surrounding tissue and cause metastasis (Rang et al, 2007). The use of stem cells in cancer treatment is one of the latest developments in treating cancer. Research is being conducted in order to treat cancer using cancer stem cells. Stem cells act by replacing the immune system of unhealthy patient with that of a healthy donor (Clarke et al, 2006). 1.1.1 Incidence of Cancer Globally cancer continues to increase largely....When cells exhibit the characteristics mentioned above leads to a state of malignant tumor. In case of benign tumors the cells do not exhibit capacity to dedifferentiate, invade surrounding tissue and cause metastasis (Rang et al, 2007). The use of stem cells in cancer treatmen t is one of the latest developments in treating cancer. Research is being conducted in order to treat cancer using cancer stem cells. Stem cells act by replacing the immune system of unhealthy patient with that of a healthy donor (Clarke et al, 2006). 1.1.1 Incidence of Cancer Globally cancer continues to increase largely. Clobocan states that around 1.2 million new cancer cases and 7-6 million cancer deaths were witnessed in 2008 alone. The mortality rate for cancer in developing countries displays regional disparities in mortality with chances for cancer being 21% in males and 2% in females. The third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and second most commonly diagnosed in females is colorectal cancer with almost 1.2 million new cease and 608,700 deaths accounted in 2008. Incidence rates were found to be highest in Australia , New Zealand , Europe and North America while the lowest rates were exhibited in African and South central Asia (Jemal et al , 2011)