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Topping the list among the slowest growing cancers is prostate cancer. The disease develops so slowly that your doctor may recommend "watchful waiting" rather than immediate treatment. Some patients may never need treatment. So how do cancer cells grow in this disease? How does the cancer progress? The following article will give you information about which type of cancer grows the slowest1. How do cancer cells grow and how does the cancer progress?
How does cancer progress in the patient's body? Our human body is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, new cells replace old cells when they die.
Cancer usually occurs when there are more abnormal cells (or cancer cells) than the immune system can handle. Instead of them dying, these abnormal cells continue to grow and divide, cones piling up in the form of tumours. The uncontrolled growth of cancer cells causes abnormal cells to invade surrounding tissues.
1.1. Why do cancer cells metastasize? Cancer cells do not respond to the signals that it is time to die, so they continue to divide and multiply rapidly, evading the immune system very well. So how does the cancer progress?
When cancer cells are still in the tissue where they are growing, it is called carcinoma in situ (CIS). Once those cells break out from the membrane of the tissue, then it is called invasive cancer and begins the process of growth of cancer cells in the patient's body
Cell spread Cancer from where it started to grow to another place in the body is called metastasis. No matter where else it spreads in the body, cancer is still called the cancer where it started to grow. For example, prostate cancer that has spread to the liver is still called prostate cancer, not liver cancer.
Characteristics of cancers are usually solid, but not always. For example, leukemia is a blood cancer, which doctors call a "liquid tumor".
The cancer cells that will spread next depends on where they are in the body, but it is likely to spread somewhere nearby first.
The spread of cancer cells or the growth of cancer cells can be caused by:
The growing tumor may push through surrounding tissues or into organs. Cancer cells from the primary tumor can break off and form new tumors nearby. Cancer cells from the tumor may invade nearby lymph nodes. From there, they can move the entire lymphatic system and start new tumors in other parts of the body. Solid tumors need oxygen and other nutrients to grow. Through a process known as angiogenesis, tumors can promote the formation of new blood vessels to ensure their survival. Cells can also enter the bloodstream and travel to distant sites. 1.2. Cancer spreads fastest and slowest Cancer cells have more genetic damage, it usually grows faster than cancer cells with less genetic damage. Based on how abnormal they are under the microscope, tumors will be classified as follows:
GX: Indeterminate G1: Low-grade or well-differentiated G2: Moderately or moderately differentiated G3: Stool-grade Poorly differentiated or high grade G4: Indistinguishable Some cancers that will usually grow more slowly are:
Breast cancer, such as estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and factor receptor negative human epidermal growth factor (HER2-) Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) Colon and rectal cancer Prostate cancer Some slow-growing cancers, such as prostate cancer, it can develop so slowly that doctors may recommend "watchful waiting" rather than immediate treatment. Some may never need treatment.
Examples of fast-growing cancers include:
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Certain breast cancers, such as breast cancer inflammatory forms (IBC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) Large B-cell lymphoma Lung cancer Rare prostate cancer such as small cell carcinoma or lymphoma Non-fast-growing cancer This means that the patient will have a poor prognosis. Many of these cancers can be treated very effectively. And some cancers don't necessarily grow faster, but they're less likely to be detected until they become metastatic.
2. What type of cancer grows the slowest?
The prostate gland is a small walnut-shaped gland in the male pelvis. It is located next to the bladder and it can be checked with a digital rectal exam. Prostate cancer is also known as a form of cancer that develops in the prostate gland. It is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S.Growths in the prostate gland can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Benign growths such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH):
Rarely a threat to life Does not invade the tissues around them Does not spread to other parts of the body May heals and may regrow very slowly (but usually does not regrow) Malignant growth (prostate cancer):
Can sometimes be a threat to life May spread to organs and tissues nearby (such as the bladder or rectum) May spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body (such as lymph nodes or bones) Usually heals but sometimes grows back Adenocarcinoma cells Prostatitis can spread by separating from a prostate tumor. They travel through blood vessels or lymph nodes to other parts of the body. After spreading, cancer cells can attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors, causing damage where they reach.
When prostate cancer metastasizes from its original site to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same type of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary (original) tumor. For example, if prostate cancer metastasizes to bone, the cancer cells in the bone are actually prostate cancer cells. The disease is metastatic prostate cancer, not bone cancer. For that reason, it is considered bone prostate cancer.
To understand prostate cancer, help to know how the prostate gland is working normally.
2.1. Prostate cancer 2.1.1. Symptoms
In the early stages, prostate cancer often has no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may resemble an enlarged prostate or BPH. Prostate cancer can also cause symptoms unrelated to BPH. If you have urinary problems, talk to your healthcare provider about them.
Symptoms of prostate cancer can be:
Dull pain in the lower pelvis Frequent urination Difficulty urinating, pain, burning or weak urine stream Blood in the urine ( Hematuria ) Pain when urinating ejaculation Pain in the lower back, hips or upper thighs Loss of appetite Weight loss Bone pain 2.1.2. Cause
No one knows why or how prostate cancer started. Autopsy studies show that 1 in 3 men over the age of 50 have some form of cancer in the prostate. Eight out of ten "autopsied cancers" were found to be small, with tumors not causing harm.
Although there is no clear reason for prostate cancer, there are many risks associated with the disease.
2.2. What are the risk factors for prostate cancer? Age As men age, their risk of prostate cancer increases. This disease is rarely found in men under the age of 40. Damage to the genetic material (DNA) of prostate cells is more likely for men over the age of 55. Damaged or abnormal prostate cells can begin to grow out of control and form tumors.
Age is a well-known risk factor for prostate cancer. However, smoking and being overweight were more strongly associated with prostate cancer mortality.
Ethnicity By far, African-American men have the highest incidence. One in six African-American men will develop prostate cancer. African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer at an earlier age. They also prefer to have aggressive, rapidly growing, spreading and fatal tumors. The reason why prostate cancer is more common in African-American men remains unclear, it could be socioeconomic, environmental, dietary or other factors. Other ethnicities, such as Hispanic and Asian men, have a lower risk of prostate cancer.
Family history Men with a family history of prostate cancer also face a higher risk. A man is 2 to 3 times more likely to develop prostate cancer if his father, brother or son has it. This risk increases with the number of relatives diagnosed with prostate cancer. Age when a loved one was diagnosed is also an important factor.
Smoking Studies show that the risk of prostate cancer can be doubled for heavy smokers. Smoking is also associated with a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer. However, within 10 years of quitting, your risk of prostate cancer drops to that of a non-smoker of the same age.
World region Prostate cancer numbers and deaths vary around the world but are higher in North America and Northern Europe. Higher rates may be due to better or more extensive screening procedures, genetics, poor diet, lack of exercise habits, and environmental exposure.
Diet Diet and lifestyle can affect prostate cancer risk. It's not clear exactly how. Your risk may be higher if you eat a lot of calories, animal fats, refined sugars and not enough fruits and vegetables. Lack of exercise has also been linked to poor outcomes. Obesity (or being overweight) is known to increase a man's risk of dying from prostate cancer. One way to reduce risk is to lose weight.
3. What stages are involved in the development of cancer cells?
Cancer is classified according to tumor size and how far it has spread at the time of diagnosis. The stages will help the doctor decide which treatment is most likely to work and give an overall outlook.
There are different types of staging systems, and it is specific to certain types of cancer. The following are the basic stages of cancer:
In situ : Precancerous cells have been found, but they have not spread to surrounding tissues. Localized: Cancer cells have not spread beyond where they started. Regional: Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, tissues, or organs. Distant: Cancer has reached distant organs or tissues. Unknown: There is not enough information to determine the stage. Or:
Stage 0 or CIS : Abnormal cells have been found but have not spread into surrounding tissue. This is also called precancerous. Stages 1, 2, and 3: Cancer diagnosis is confirmed. The numbers represent the size of the primary tumor and the extent of the cancer's metastasis. Stage 4: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. Your pathology report may use the TNM segmentation system, which provides more detailed information as follows:
T: Size of primary tumor
TX: Cannot measure primary tumor T0 : The primary tumor cannot be located T1, T2, T3, T4: Describe the size of the primary tumor and how far it may have grown to surrounding tissue N: Number of regional lymph nodes affected affected by cancer
NX: Cancer cannot be measured in nearby lymph nodes N0: No cancer is found in nearby lymph nodes N1, N2, N3: Describe the number and location of these lymph nodes lymph nodes affected by cancer M: Whether the cancer has metastasized
MX: Unable to measure metastasis M0: Cancer has not spread to other parts of the body M1: Cancer has spread
4. Tumor growth and spread
4.1. Benign Tumors Benign tumors are not cancerous. They are covered with normal cells and cannot invade nearby tissue or other organs. Benign tumors can cause a number of problems if they are:
Large enough to press on organs, causing pain or visual discomfort Located in the brain Releases hormones that affect body systems Benign tumors can often be surgically removed and are unlikely to grow back.
4.2. Malignant Tumors Cancerous tumors are called malignancies. Cancer cells form when an abnormality in the DNA causes a gene to work differently than it should. They can grow into nearby tissue, spread through the bloodstream or lymphatic system, and spread throughout the body. Malignant tumors tend to grow faster than benign tumors.
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References: healthline.com, cancer.org, urologyhealth.org
