• Question: what cells are most likely to turn cancerous?

    Asked by u12woodburnj to Lou on 7 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Louise Brown

      Louise Brown answered on 7 Nov 2013:

      Hello!
      All cells are capable of turning cancerous! Even the cells in our heart! (though these are very rarely cancerous!)
      The most common cancers are ones that start in epithelial cells (the cells that line our body and our insides), probably because they are cells that grow very quickly anyway so we can replace ones that we lose.
      The most commen areas of the body to get cancer are the breast, lung, bowel and prostate.

Comments

  • Photo: Simon

    Simon commented on :

    Some cancers are much more dangerous than others. Cancer in the prostate (part of the male reproductive system) tends to grow very slowly and is less likely to spread to other parts of the body. Cancer in the oesophagus (food pipe) is a fearsome variety which grows quickly and spreads to places like the lung and liver

  • Photo: jem1

    jem1 commented on :

    what if we were with out a kidney would we not be alive?

  • Photo: Simon

    Simon commented on :

    Jem

    You can survive fine with just one kidney. If you have no kidneys you will die unless you are on a dialysis machine every day. The dialysis machine filters waste products out of the blood that you would usually get rid of when you pee.