
Dr. Sally Robinson
Keeping Kids Healthy
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that one in every 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer? The next three articles will discuss cancer and its treatment.
The word “cancer” certainly strikes a scary and emotional note in our hearts, and when attached to the word “childhood” it can be especially frightening. However, as with many things we fear, we can be empowered by understanding. This week we explain just exactly what “cancer” really is.
Every part of the body (the brain, liver, heart, bones, fingernails, muscles, and so on) is made up of hundreds of millions of microscopic cells that are specialized for that particular organ. These cells follow a very complex and highly organized instruction set from their DNA to multiply, grow, and eventually die and become replaced throughout our entire lifetimes. Occasionally, however, the instruction set becomes damaged as it is copied into newly formed cells. Usually our bodies can recognize cells with damaged DNA and repairs or destroys them. But sometimes when the instruction to “stop multiplying” is damaged, cells can multiply and grow out of control faster than our bodies can repair the damage. This is how cancer begins. Continue reading →