

Why Do So Many People Get Cancer?
We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. What causes cancer? Why is it getting more common?
T cells attacking and killing cancer cells (Meletios Verra, iStockphoto)
T cells attacking and killing cancer cells (Meletios Verra, iStockphoto)
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Cancer is a terrible disease that affects more than 200 000 Canadians every year. There are hundreds different types, attacking different parts of the human body. All cancers happen when our cell's replication system doesn't work properly. This cause our cells to grow out of control. Cancerous tumors are made from those defective cells. How this happens is not always clear.
People can reduce their risk of cancer by avoiding known carcinogenic (cancer-causing) elements such as prolonged exposure to the Sun, smoking and some chemical products. Cancer can also have a genetic basis, so knowing your family's history of cancer is important. We still do not know as much about cancer as we would like, which makes it hard to predict when and how it will strike.
Current available treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. The choice on the best treatment depends in the type of cancer, its stage and the health of the patient. However, there is still lots of work needed before we can find better solutions for detecting, preventing and treating cancers. This is why so many scientists and researchers are working hard every day across the country, saving lives behind the scenes.
Below you will find some Let’s Talk Science resources to help you learn more about cancer.
We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. What causes cancer? Why is it getting more common?
When a person has cancer, CAR-T Therapy uses their own cells to destroy the cancer cells in their body.
Learn about the risks of electromagnetic radiation near high-voltage power lines.
Learn how researchers from Amgen are developing new drugs for cancer.
Learn about why Canada is a world leader in nuclear technology.
This backgrounder explains the effects of radiation on cells and DNA.
Learn about the history, function, uses, benefits and risks of computed tomography (CT) as a medical imaging technology.
Gamma rays might make you think of cancer, harmful radiation or superheroes. But gamma rays have lots of uses: food safety, manufacturing and even medicine!
Particle accelerators have amazing applications - from growing food to making airplanes safe.
Learning about the professionals involved is ideal to establish relations between STEM studies and skills, and the real world. Below are some suggested career profiles to show the variety of people working in cancer research.
You can use the KWL: What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned Learning Strategy to introduce the topic.
Initial discussion
Using the questions above, discuss the topics with students. This can be done in the classroom or online, you can also have an asynchronous discussion by using a collaborative platform in which students can share their thoughts and opinions on the different questions. This option gives more space for introvert expression.
Articles
Teaching suggestions for can be found at the bottom of each of the articles. Learning strategies can also be used with the suggested videos.
You can use the KWL: What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned Learning Strategy to introduce the topic.
Initial discussion
Using the questions above, discuss the topics with students. This can be done in the classroom or online, you can also have an asynchronous discussion by using a collaborative platform in which students can share their thoughts and opinions on the different questions. This option gives more space for introvert expression.
Articles
Teaching suggestions for can be found at the bottom of each of the articles. Learning strategies can also be used with the suggested videos.