Advances in cancer.
Cancers invade our bodies through a variety of systems that are intricately connected for interplay at macro and micro levels of action. Since we all have a body, it is worthy of study.
The Drive
Yesterday, I listened to a podcast about cancer and the recent advances in its diagnostics and treatments. Dr. Peter Attia hosted this discussion with Dr. Keith Flaherty. Peter’s podcast, the Drive, has long been my “go to” source of information to keep current on topics related to human longevity and performance.
Episode #267 ‒ The latest in cancer therapeutics, diagnostics, and early detection is a long podcast packed with information that will likely be difficult to follow for anyone who has not studied the human body. However, the intelligent and curious layperson will still get value from listening to it. In fact, I would recommend that the latter listen to it twice using BINGchat the second time to learn about unfamiliar terms such as “mitochondria” or delve into the various systems of the body in which they may have limited knowledge.
Cancer can affect every type of human tissue and invoke actions from a variety of our body’s systems. The mechanisms of action for a specific type of cancer can be best understood by a knowledge of these systems and how their functions are impacted.
Cancer and lymph nodes
The lymphatic system is one in which my own knowledge is sparse. I know that many cancers metastasize and spread to other parts of the body through adjacent lymph nodes. I wanted to better understand this system so I asked BINGchat “what is the structure and functions of the human lymphatic system?”
The lymphatic system is a subsystem of the circulatory system in the vertebrate body that consists of a complex network of vessels, tissues, and organs. It helps maintain fluid balance in the body by collecting excess fluid and particulate matter from tissues and depositing them in the bloodstream. It also helps defend the body against infection by supplying disease-fighting cells called lymphocytes1.
The lymphatic system can be thought of as a drainage system needed because, as blood circulates through the body, blood plasma leaks into tissues through the thin walls of the capillaries. The portion of blood plasma that escapes is called interstitial or extracellular fluid, and it contains oxygen, glucose, amino acids, and other nutrients needed by tissue cells. Although most of this fluid seeps immediately back into the bloodstream, a percentage of it, along with the particulate matter, is left behind. The lymphatic system removes this fluid and these materials from tissues, returning them via the lymphatic vessels to the bloodstream, and thus prevents a fluid imbalance that would result in the organism’s death1.
The lymphatic system consists of open-ended vessels, lymph nodes, and organs such as the tonsils, spleen, and thymus. Unlike the blood vascular system, lymphatic circulation is not a closed loop. It creates a one-directional flow of lymph towards the heart. Lymph reenters the cardiovascular system at subclavian veins situated near the neck2.
ChatGPT opens up the world of knowledge.
I have come to think of BINGcht (Microsoft’s free version of OpenAI’s GPT-4) as ‘Google on steroids’. It is an excellent tool for the investigation and study of topics that may normally be beyond my grasp based on my prior knowledge. Simply put, it is the best learning tool I have ever discovered and when combined with long-form podcasts of the calibre of The Drive, it's much better than sitting through a university lecture with dozens of other students in an auditorium passively absorbing the lecturer’s prepared presentation.
My Science background
I studied Kinesiology in the early 1970s and graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in 1975. Defined as the “study of human performance”, I learned about the body’s many systems: nervous (sympathetic and para-sympathetic), cardio-respiratory, vascular, immune, muscles, bones, digestive, and much more. It was a traditional university education in which I attended lectures and labs, and wrote exams. I also participated in it as a “teaching assistant” (lab instructor, occasional lecturer, exam grader) on two co-op work terms with the University of Waterloo’s Department of Kinesiology.
Since those early years, I have remained a “student at heart”. I was an avid reader of books and specialized magazines until the Internet lured me into its bossum of vast digital content.
This modern era of knowledge discovery is the best time to be alive for our curious-minded citizens who use the Internet for more than it's mere entertainment value.
