Cancer+Article+WB


 * 1) The article begins by mentioning two important people with cancer. Who is Elizabeth Edwards? Who is Tony Snow? (Include their politcal party, job, and current health status-this article was written in April-your answer should have more than what you can find in the article)
 * 2) What is a metastatic cancer cell?
 * 3) Why does the author call cancer cells barbarians and cannibals?
 * 4) What do we know about the events that transform a normal cell to a cancer cell?
 * 5) Why is harder to study metastatic cancer cells?
 * 6) How many cells do primary tumors shed each day (in a rodent)? Yet how many metastatic tumors do these rodents have?
 * 7) Describe two ways metastatic cells can travel through the body avoiding detection from our immune system.
 * 8) Where is the first site (oasis for the cancer cell) that metastasis generally occurs? Why? Why is it an oasis? (What is an oasis?)
 * 9) What is a dormant micrometastasis? Why are they relevant to human health?
 * 10) What evidence do we have that metastasis occurs in organs that are similar to the organ of the primary tumor? Give two examples.

1. Elizabeth Edwards is the wife of John Edwards. Tony Snow is one of George W. Bush's secretaries. 2. A metastatic cancer cell is a cancer cell that consumes neighboring cells and their nutrients. 3. Cancer cells are referred to as cannibals and barbarians because they steal nutrients and eat other neighboring cells. 4. The "brakes" are disabled in cell growth, due to genetic and chromosomal mutations. 5. It is harder to study metastatic cancer cells, because they are constantly migrating throughout the body. 6. Primary tumors shed one billion cells per day in rodents. However, there are only a few metastatic tumors. 7. Metastatic cells can move by either reducing themselves in size, or by migrating with other malignant cells. 8. An oasis is a place where nourishment can be found. In many cases, the oasis is an open wound. 9. Dormant Micrometastasis is when the cell can no longer survive in the oasis. 10. This evidence can be seen in the cases of breast cancer in attacking with milk calcium hormones, as well as in the brain as neural tissue and melanocytes are made from the same cells.