Curing Cancer Network Newsletter

October 2023

How do cancer metastases arise?

We have now posted Part 3a of our series on how metastases arise. In Part 3a, we discuss how the malignant properties of normal cells are switched on, beginning with rapid or otherwise inappropriate cell division. The version for nonscientists can be found here.

Cell migration in the embryo and fetus (how metastases arise, part 3b-1)

Cancer causes death primarily through metastases or the movement of cells from the main tumor mass to other parts of the body. To understand what causes cancer cells to move from their primary site and how to prevent it, we need to understand how cells normally migrate. This essay discusses embryonic and fetal cells that migrate under normal conditions, - https://natpernick.substack.com/p/cell-migration-in-the-embryo-and

Blog

Check out Dr. Pernick's blog for weekly photos and discussions (for nonpathologists) of interesting malignancies as well as essays on politics, medicine and science at https://natpernick.substack.com.

Check out these new posts:

Cancer statistics 2023

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new US cancer cases and deaths. For 2023, it projects 1,958,310 new cancer cases and 609,820 cancer deaths. As noted in the graph to the right, the number of deaths has not changed substantially for many years, which represents progress because the US population is increasing and getting older, and cancer is associated with aging. See more information at https://natpernick.substack.com/p/cancer-statistics-2023

click graph to enlarge

Plasma cell myeloma, an overview

Representative Steve Scalise, the House majority leader, recently announced that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (plasma cell myeloma). This overview discusses the disease in general, not his specific case, - https://natpernick.substack.com/p/plasma-cell-myeloma-an-overview

Breast cancer grading

See our short essay at https://natpernick.substack.com/p/breast-cancer-grading

Below are examples of the 3 breast cancer grades.

Click images to enlarge.

Well differentiated breast cancers:

Overall score of 3-5

Grade I - best survival statistics

Overall score of 5 (well differentiated) based on no tubules or glands (score 3), minimal pleomorphism (score 1) and only rare mitotic figures (score 1)

Moderately differentiated breast cancers:

Overall score of 6-7

Grade II

Overall score of 7 (moderately well differentiated) based on no tubules (score 3), moderately enlarged nuclei with nucleoli (score 2) and identifiable mitotic figures (score 2).

Poorly differentiated breast cancers:

Overall score of 8-9

Grade III - worst survival statistics

Overall score of 9 (poorly differentiated) based on sheets of cells (tubule score 3) with markedly enlarged and pleomorphic nuclei with prominent nucleoli (score 3) and readily identifiable mitotic figures (score 3). This is a highly aggressive cancer with the poorest survival statistics.