7 - Non-Communicable Diseases

• Non-Communicable diseases cannot be passed from one person to another
• Risk factors of N-C diseases:

  • genes you inherit
  • age
  • lifestyle - smoking, exercise
  • Substances that are present in the environment - UV, radiation
• Tumor cells form when cell grow and divide rapidly with very little time for growth in between each division resulting in a mass of abnormally growing cells
• Benign tumors

  • are growth of abnormal cells contains in one place
  • do not invade other parts of the body
  • can grow very large quickly
  • causes pressure or damage to organs
• Malignant tumor cells

  • are growth of abnormal cells that can spread around the body, invading healthy tissue
  • The tumor splits up, releasing dumps of cells into the bloodstream
  • go to different parts of the body
  • They continue to divide uncontrollably forming secondary tumors
  • Cancer cells divide more rapidly and live longer than normal cells
  • disrupts normal tissue and if left untreated it will often kill the person
  • Difficult to treat
• Causes of cancer:

  • genetic factors
  • mutation
  • radiation
  • such as UV light, X-rays
  • Virus infection
• Treating cancer:

  • Radiotherapy - cancer cells are destroyed by targeted doses of radiation
  • stops mitosis in the cancer cells
  • but damaged healthy cells
  • Chemotherapy
  • chemicals are used to stop the cells dividing
• Alcohol is poisonous but liver removes it before doing any damage