Jim Rohn once stated, “Take care of your body. It is the only place you have to live.” The human body is made up of trillions of cells that grow, reproduce, and die constantly. Our cells are directed by DNA, which can be damaged at times during replication due to copying errors and environmental agents such as smoke. In most cases, the DNA will eventually be repaired or the cell will die on its own. However, there are cases where the cell with damaged DNA will continue to reproduce and not die like it is supposed to. These cells will continue to reproduce and spread to other parts of the body. When this occurs, the cell has become a form of cancer. Everyone is affected by cancer in some way. In 2010, 1.6 million people in the United States
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It described eight cases of cauterized breast tumors, a process in which a part of the body is burned and removed. The document contains no recorded treatment for the disease. However, radical thinking during and after the Renaissance period allowed scientists and doctors to gain a better understanding of cancer. In 1761, Giovanni Morgagni of Padua started employing autopsies to relate the patient 's illness to post-mortem pathology. Scottish surgeon John Hunter was the first to suggest the removal of cancer through surgery. In the 19th century, Rudolf Virchow provided the basis for the modern pathological study of cancer through the use of the microscope. These advancements served as the underlying foundations for newer discoveries. For example, Mary-Claire King was able to discover BRCA-1, the gene responsible for hereditary breast cancer. Geneticists at her time did not think a complex disease could be traced to a single gene, yet her pioneering work was able to prove the relationship between genetics and disease. This led to the discovery of BRCA-2, which are tumor suppressing genes that maintain DNA stability. As a result, the history of cancer has come a long way from papyrus to modern findings. Cancer research continues to build upon itself, and researchers continue to learn more about possible treatments and cures to preventing
It described eight cases of cauterized breast tumors, a process in which a part of the body is burned and removed. The document contains no recorded treatment for the disease. However, radical thinking during and after the Renaissance period allowed scientists and doctors to gain a better understanding of cancer. In 1761, Giovanni Morgagni of Padua started employing autopsies to relate the patient 's illness to post-mortem pathology. Scottish surgeon John Hunter was the first to suggest the removal of cancer through surgery. In the 19th century, Rudolf Virchow provided the basis for the modern pathological study of cancer through the use of the microscope. These advancements served as the underlying foundations for newer discoveries. For example, Mary-Claire King was able to discover BRCA-1, the gene responsible for hereditary breast cancer. Geneticists at her time did not think a complex disease could be traced to a single gene, yet her pioneering work was able to prove the relationship between genetics and disease. This led to the discovery of BRCA-2, which are tumor suppressing genes that maintain DNA stability. As a result, the history of cancer has come a long way from papyrus to modern findings. Cancer research continues to build upon itself, and researchers continue to learn more about possible treatments and cures to preventing