Comments on: What Is Cancer In Easy Words For A 7th Grader?

By: neffer

neffer — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:48:16 +0000

There is a cartoon called Osmosis Jones that covers cancer cell growth. It might be worth while to look it up. I had to explain it to my kids a few years ago when my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. It basically goes over how our bodies produce mutant cells and how when our bodies defenses don’t destroy the mutant cells, they multiply and cause cancer. It’s very basic and not at all complete, but it’s a place to start…

By: U_S_S_En

U_S_S_En — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:13:45 +0000

Cancer is a disease that attacks the body from the inside.
It destroys healty parts, and spreads everywhere if doctors don`t get to it quick.

By: awakened

awakened — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:55:32 +0000

out of control mitosis – or out of control cell replication

By: Paul C

Paul C — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:49:28 +0000

Our bodys are alive.
Inside are bodies are living creatures called cells.
Sometimes these cells are get sick. When the cells get sick, the good cells try to fix it but sometimes the sick cells get angry and continue and hurt the good cells. Like pacman. The good cells tries to eat the bad cells.
When our body can’t fix the bad cells, we have to go to the doctor and he gives me some medicines that get rid of the bad cells. But do do this, he has to get rid of the good cells too.
Thats why I am really weak and don’t have good color and lost my hair.
Then the good cells come back.
Sometimes, though, the sick cells win. Now adays, there is a better chance that the good cells win.
(This is a good way to explain chemo)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:51:25 +0000

A uncontrolled lump of cells that grows at an improper rate that grows so big it spreads across to other tissues and organs and ultimately kills the person in its frenzy to sustain itself.

By: tessasmo

tessasmo — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:10:58 +0000

A 7th grader doesn’t need easy words. They can understand much more than that. Tell the child the truth. Cancer is cells that divide uncontrollably. For whatever reason they lack the ability to stop when needed. There are plenty of books out there too.

By: rebelady

rebelady — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:40:44 +0000

Cancer can come from anything.it has no race,no natioality,and doesn’t matter who gets it.Cancer comes in all kinds of form,Breast Cancer,Tumors,Pelvic Cancer,it targest everybody,female,male and it is very dealy especially if not caught in time.

By: andygurl

andygurl — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:37:34 +0000

12 Years and Older
Many children older than 12 years are able to understand complex relationships between events. They are able to think about things they have not experienced themselves. You can explain cancer as a disease in which a few cells in the body go “haywire.” These “haywire” cells grow more quickly than normal cells, invade other parts of the body, and disrupt normal body functions. The goal of treatment is to kill the “haywire” cells. Then the body can function normally again, and the symptoms will go away.
Teenagers understand that cancer can lead to death.They need to know that many who have cancer survive their disease and live normal, healthy lives. In fact, the number of survivors is increasing all the time.
good luck.

By: Miss

**Miss** — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:28:03 +0000

For a 7th grader, I would have to say cancer. By this time they would probrably be offended if you sat them down & said,”Momy’s sick sweetheart.” I just got out of the 8th grade & my mom had cancer cells in her cirvic or whatever, & I would feel like my parents had lied to me if they didn’t tell me she had cancer. I mean he/she is probrably what 12? 13? I think you should just go ahead & tell them.

By: Panda

Panda — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:13:43 +0000

All people have cells that make up the various organs, tissues, blood, muscles, brain within the body system. Each one of those various cells are programmed at conception or (birth) to form a heart, a lung, a brain, eyes, nose, skin and than stop growing. Each cell has somthing that makes it pause and stop as soon as a heart, brain, liver, kidney is fully developed. However, at some point one of those thousands of cells in the body, for some unknown reason (either internal or external) one cell will start to grow . . and there is no switch to shut it off. That cell can grow large enough to start shedding more and more cells all with the signals shut off . . it will duplicate and those other cells will duplicate indefinitely until they take over the organ (the liver, the kidney, the brain, the skin). The body does not recognize a cancer cell as being foreign . . so the body will nourish the cancer, keep it healthy, and treat it just like it is part of the body. It is a deceptive disease.
To recap: everyone has cells that create organs, tissue, blood for the body and than stop growing (other than hair and some intestinal tract cells) . . a cancer cell is a normal cell that for some unknown reason starts to grow again and nothing can stop it until it takes over the organ or body system. Think of it this way . . cancer is like a yellow weed invading and spreading uncontrollably over a healthy green lawn.