• Question: How a cell can reproduce when you are killing it? Why cancer isn't extinct yet?

    Asked by CarlotaPlass to Steph, Laura, Carmen on 19 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Stephanie Dyson

      Stephanie Dyson answered on 19 Mar 2015:

      Cells don’t reproduce when you are killing them it is the alive cells that reproduce. Cancer isn’t extict yet because we don’t have a 100% effective treatment yet. Usually we kill or remove most of the bad cells but some cells remain and move somewhere else in the body so the cancer comes back

      Steph

    • Photo: Carmen Denman

      Carmen Denman answered on 19 Mar 2015:

      Hi! Interesting question. Most drugs are only active against metabolically active cells/bacteria. So, if a cell is in a persistent or decreased metabolic rate, it can avoid killing. Example, bacteria living in a communal biofilm, or cancer cells within a tumor. Cancer is actually a natural part of our bodies ageing process (unfortunately) though obviously there are some cancers that are really down to lifestyle and envinronmental exposures. Cancers are varied and unique to each person, some drugs that work really well on a 2 year old leukaemia patient are not as effective on a 24 year old. It’s a huge interesting area of study drug dosage, efficacy and use.
      Cheers!
      Carmen

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