Mitosis & Cell Cycle: Cancer Treatments - Essay Example

Mitosis and Cell Cycle: Cancer Treatments Mitosis and Cell Cycle: Cancer Treatments Introduction Cancer refers to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. It grows of normal cells whereby cells divide quickly and fail to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death). This implies that cancerous cell evade cell control systems in the body. Uncontrolled cell division leads to multiplication of the cells of the body. Cancer can affect in any part of body tissues and organs. These include bones, skin, nerve tissue, breast, stomach, colon, retina, and lungs among other areas (Russo & Russo, 2004).

This paper explores breast cancer.Breast CancerBreast cancer affects tissues of mammary glands. This type of cancer is very dominant in women than men. There are kinds of this malignant in the breast. These comprise of ductal and lobular carcinoma. Ductal cancer begins at tubes that circulate milk from breast to nipple. Lobular carcinoma grows in lobules that secrete milk. In cancerous cells of the breast, mitosis is uncontrolled by the normal cell control systems in the body. This implies that cell division and multiplication occurs continuous leading to accumulation of cells (Russo & Russo, 2004).

This over-growth and evasion of control mechanisms that regulate cell cycle cause tumor in the breast.Methods of Cancer TreatmentThere are various methods to treat breast cancer. These include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and targeted therapy. Chemotherapy utilizes medicines to destroy and weaken cancer cells in the body. This method kills cells in that are in original site of cancer and the ones that have spread to other parts of the body. Medicines circulate through bloodstream to the cancerous cells.

These medicine stops division of tumor cells. Radiation targets the cancerous cells through use of beam with high energy. This technique interferes with DNA that directs division of cancer cells. Although radiation affects normal cells, it kills breast very fast. (Russo & Russo, 2004).Surgery entails removal of cancerous breast tissue. This method of treatment of breast cancer encompasses removal of the whole mammary gland (mastectomy) or eliminates lumps that border normal cells. Excision of tumor cells in the breast stops uncontrolled mitosis.

Targeted therapy utilizes special anticancer agents, which target alteration in normal cells that can lead to development of cancer. These cell changes may include secretion of proteins that enable cancer cell to divide and multiply (Russo & Russo, 2004). Some of these drugs include Herceptin that treats women with Herceptin Estrogen Receptors positive breast cancer. ReferencesRusso, I., & Russo, J. (2004). Molecular Basis of Breast Cancer: Prevention and Treatment. London: Springer.