Carcinogens

What is cancer? When an individual hears the phrase “you have cancer” the person is most likely experiencing feelings extreme uncertainty and anxiousness. The word cancer is a general term given too many different related diseases. Cancer is when the cells within your body begin to divide uncontrollably, spreading to the surrounding tissue in that area or they may possibly spread to another organ within your body. Our bodies cells naturally grow and divide to form new cells as older cells die or become damaged. However, when a person is diagnosed with cancer this process no longer functions properly. As cells become increasingly abnormal, the old cells survive while new cells are still being formed, causing an overcrowding that can lead to tumors. There are many factors that can cause cancer; some include genetics and environmental factors. For this blog I am going to focus on the environmental factors that cause cancer also known as carcinogens.

Before we get to how carcinogens are classified, let’s find out what they are. Carcinogens are for all intents and purposes are “anysubstance or agent capable of causing cancer.” Some of these environmental factors include pollution, workplace exposures, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet and physical activity. Additionally, natural factors can have an effect on someone as well, exposure to ultraviolet light and radon; also exposure to radiation through medical treatments can play an integral role in a person developing cancer if the exposure is high enough.

How are carcinogens classified? There are several organizations both nationally and internationally that have come up their own system for classifying carcinogens.  There systems are based on current findings and research conducted. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer a sector of the World Health Organization, “there systemincludes four classification groups and subgroups.” The classification is broken down into group 1 through 4.  Group 1 is carcinogenic to humans; Group 2A is probably carcinogenic to humans, Group 2B is possibly carcinogenic to humans, Group 3 is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans, and lastly Group 4 is probably not carcinogenic to humans. For more information you can visit www.cancer.org for a full breakdown of what each group entails. The International Agency for Research on Cancer is consistently staying up to date on new and improved research that could end up changing the system is something significant comes along.

What are the three stages of chemical carcinogens? The three stages of chemical carcinogens are as follows: initiation, promotion and progression. The initiation stage is when the genetic makeup of a cell has transformed. This stage may sporadically happen when a carcinogen interacts with a cell causing damage in the DNA. This stage rarely results in a diagnosis. Furthermore, promotion is when the abnormal cell is stimulated to grow and divide. In this stage individuals may have benign tumors, which become made evident after visiting with a doctor. This stage can be brought on by cancer, hormones, exposure to smoke, and is normally reversible. Lastly, is the progression stage this stage includes additional growth of the tumor cells. The tumors genetic makeup is extremely sensitive which allows for more mutations to form. The mutations grow to the point where tumors become malignant. The changes in genes seen in this stage have been shown to see a correlation to colon cancer.