Cancer Link to Angiogenesis - What Is It?

To explain cancer in simple layman terms, our body already has cancer cells from the day we were born.

Yes, that word is very scary and we all ask how and why we get afflicted with cancer. The very fact is, as mentioned above, we already have them. Cancer blood test may ascertain this by using cancer markers.

The questions most ask are why and how we get cancer, why and how we allow them to grow, known as metastatic spread.

What makes cancer cells grow

Such cells grow in the vascular network of our blood system and since the proliferation, the metastatic spread of cancerous cells rely on the supply of oxygen, nutrients and the waste products removal system. So the growth of such cells are fed by oxygen, the kind of food we eat and our toilet habits, they too add to the growth of cancer cells.

Angiogenesis

Now what is angiogenesis? It is new blood that forms through the processes. And lymph angiogenesis that processes from lymphatic vessels.

There are more than a dozen different proteins that are angiogenic activators and inhibitors. The molecules of activator and inhibitor then regulate angiogenesis.

How aggressive are the tumor cells depends on the level of expression of those angiogenic factors.

Cancer doctors have discovered angiogenic inhibitors and that should help reduce morbidity and mortality that are from carcinomas, a type of cancer cells of the tissue or skin lining the organs, such as the liver or kidney. Such abnormal carcinomas cells can divide and spiral out of control. And that is where the danger lies.

Antiangiogenic therapy has been given to thousands of patients and although theoretically it is considered efficacious, the antiangiogenic therapy have not proven to benefit patients.

What needs to be done is more research for new and comprehensive treatment strategies that perhaps combine antiangiogenic agents and other treatments like cytoreductive therapy to combat and manage growth of cancer cells.

Metastasis

Cancer can spread, if not controlled or managed, to other organs whether they are just next to each other or organs that are further away, and that is what makes it life threatening. The cancerous cells are able to penetrate into blood and lymphatic vessels, go through the intravascular system and then proliferate at another organ, known as metastasis.

When certain chemical signals from tumor cells are triggered, it relies on angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis and results in a growth of tumor cells that can spread rapidly.

A study compared the behavior of cancerous cells that were infused into different parts of an organ - an iris with blood circulation and the other was the anterior chamber without circulation. The area without blood circulation grew slightly and then stopped abruptly. Not surprisingly, the part with circulation grew much larger where angiogenesis existed.

So where there is no vascular support, tumors may die (necrotic) or cells programmed to die (apoptosis). Therefore, angiogenesis is a crucial factor in the growth of cancer cells, and must be managed on their intake of oxygen and nutrients. Be however warned, regulation of the activity of angiogenic activators by itself is not sufficient for angiogenesis of neoplasm in the treatment of cancer.

For a talk titled "Can We Eat To Starve Cancer?" by Dr William Li at a TED-Ed event where he postulates preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors, basically starving them. The best and as a first defense, eat cancer-killing foods like resveratrol (compound found in red wine, grapes are considered a cancer killing fruit) that cut off the supply lines so growth of cancer cells is controlled.

The bad news is that you need to drink 100 bottles of wine A DAY! Do not fret as there are alternatives.

We are what we eat. Do you believe that? It has been researched that food and water that are alkaline are best for the prevention of the growth of cancer cells. Such cells cannot thrive in alkaline conditions, only in acidic environments.

Due to the nature of our lifestyle, it is not possible to always consume alkaline type of foods and drinks.

So we need to ingest supplements to enhance the alkalinity.



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