For men, prostate cancer accounts for 25% of all cancer cases. But diagnosing the cancer is not without controversy. The usual method of detecting the cancer is by screening for Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), which can lead to early detection and treatment of the disease. Some studies have shown that the PCA test results in high [Read More →]
Since the mid 90s everyones favourite carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian Devil, has been suffering from an unusual from of cancer called Devil Facial Tumor Disease. What’s so unusual about this cancer is that it’s transmissible. That means it can be passed onto another, unrelated animal. This occurs through biting during mating and feeding when the [Read More →]
Studying the genetics of cancer often involves looking specifically at cancerous cells (that is, tumor cells) and asking what is different about those cells than the regular cells they were before. For example, what mutations are present in the DNA of a cancer cell, that could be the cause of the cancer? Also… different genes [Read More →]
The recent publication of two “Cancer Genomes” in Nature has caused some buzz concerning the actual relevance of these findings. Let’s take a look at what was actually studied, and why it’s so exciting. Each person has their own genome, that is, ALL of our DNA, which is unique to each person. So what is [Read More →]
