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Cells form the basic components of our bodies. Cancer cells arise from normal body cells. The process that causes a normal cell to turn cancerous is complex and is often difficult to understand. Nonetheless, putting a face to the enemy cancer cells, and knowing what makes cancer different provides us the initiative to prevent and treat cancer. There is a common myth that if a person with cancer should take nutritious food, it would add to the cancer growth. The truth is that the cancer cell has already developed its own growth advantage by many mechanisms, outgrowing its normal counterparts and not dying (a process called apoptosis) when it should. Cancer cells will not be affected by therapies to starve the patient so that the cancer cells would die. In contrast, a cancer patient would be better served to be in good nutritional state for required treatment. In recent years, aided by our new understanding of cancer biology, "targeted therapy" has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. In addition to our usual segments, we are privileged to include articles from a senior scientist, pathologist and medical oncologist in this issue especially to demystify cancer and provide an insight for our readers into targeted therapy.
Enjoy reading this issue of Can-Help News.
Dr Peter Ang
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