CANCER

CANCER

We all had heard of cancer disease and we are aware that it is most dangerous to the body and hard to recover. We are habituated to be panic when he hear the word "cancer". In the recent times cancer is prone to be rising very fast. The World Health Organisation has indicated that cancer is the second disease to cause death of human life. In this blog we will try to know about the details and symptoms of this threatening disease.
Cancer is the term given to the collection of all forms of abnormal growth of cells. Cancer is a disease which occurs when there is a change in normal cells inside the body. The abnormal growth leads to the growth of tumours which spreads across all the organs of the body.

Normally the cells are formed and destroyed after their life time. But in case of cancer these damaged cells grow rapidly to all the tissues of the organs affecting the nervous system.There are some tumours which are safe but most of the tumors are life-threatening. Such tumours are termed as malignant tumours . Cancer continuously grow throughout the body through the process metastasis thereby forming new lumps. Cancer is not one disease , there are more than 200 different types and subtypes of cancer.

CARCINOGENS

The term carcinogen is given to the substances which tend to cause cancer . The components which cause cancer are called carcinogenic.
Some of the examples are beryllium, vinyl chloride , nickel , artificial colours, alcohol . These are proved to be carcinogenic.

TYPES OF CANCER

There are mainly five categories under which every cancer comes. These are classified based on the organ it is being effected by cancer cells.

• Carcinoma

  A cancer that arises from epithelial cells. Epithelial cells are the cells which are lining outside enclosing internal organs. The most common are breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer.

• Sarcoma

  It causes a tumour of the organ regulating to the nervous system. It forms a tumour on the bone or nerves which connects different organs of the body. Some common forms are leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma and osteosarcoma.



• Lymphoma

  Lymphoma cancers begin in the immune system. These occur at anywhere of the body . Lymphoma cancer affect the cells in the body thereby decreasing the ability to fight against any virus. They reduce the amount of antibodies which protects our immune system.

• Leukaemia

  Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow. It is effected on white blood cells (WBC) or the tissues that make blood cells. It weakness the power to fight against any infection or virus in the body. Many types exist such as acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, acute myeloid leukaemia and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

CAUSES OF CANCER

Cancer can be caused by many number of reasons. Some reasons can be modified and some cannot . It is a fact that one-third of cancer cases can be prevented by changing behaviour and diet. The major causes are listed below.

1. Alcohol
2. Genetics
3. Being overweight
4. Lack of proper diet and nutrition
5. Tobacco
6. Ionising Radiation

FACTS ABOUT CANCER

There are lots of rumours and myths revolve around the cancer disease. Most common one is that cancer is contagious. But the reality is that cancer is "not contagious" i.e cancer is not spread from one person to another through physical contact. Here are some facts you should be aware of cancer disease.

1. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide.
2. There are more than 200 types and subtypes of cancer.
3. Naked mole rats are immune to cancer.
4. Breast cancer is more common in the left breast than the right.
5. Only 5-10% of all cancers are entirely hereditary
6. More than 40% of cancer-related death could be preventable.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CANCER

There are different symptoms for each type of cancer. The signs are dependent on the organ of the tissues in which the cells are damaged. Here are some key symptoms to look after.

1. Unusual lumps or swelling
2. Coughing, breathlessness or difficulty swallowing
3. Unexpected bleeding
4. A sore or ulcer that won't heaL
5. Fatigue
6. Heavy night sweats/li>

PREVENTING CANCER

Prevention of certain cancers may also be effective through vaccination against the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), helping to protect against liver cancer and cervical cancer respectively.
Reducing exposures to other carcinogens such as environmental pollution, occupational carcinogens and radiation could help prevent further cancers.

TREATMENT OF CANCER

They are many different ways to treat cancer. It depends upon the type of cancer the person is effected and in which stage it is in . Depending upon these factors the treatment is varied from person to person. Most people are diagnosed with the combination of treatment methodologies for better results .

• Surgery

  Surgery is a common treatment for many types of cancer. During the operation, the surgeon takes out the mass of cancerous cells (tumor) and some of the nearby tissue. Sometimes, surgery is done to relieve side effects caused by a tumor.

• Chemotherapy

  Chemotherapy refers to drugs used to kill cancer cells. The drugs may be given by mouth or into a blood vessel (IV). Different types of drugs may be given together at the same time or one after the other.

• Hormonal therapy

  Hormone therapy is used to treat cancers that are fueled by hormones, such as breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. It uses surgery, or drugs to stop or block the body's natural hormones. This helps slow the growth of cancer cells. The surgery involves removing organs that make hormones: the ovaries or testes.

Immunotherapy



• A treatment that works with your body's immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments.

• Stem cell transplant

  Replace bone marrow cells lost due to very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Most commonly used to treat blood cancers and cancers that start in the lymph nodes.

• Radiation therapy

  Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill cancer cells.Radiation therapy is delivered in three main ways: external beam radiation, internal radiation (brachytherapy) and systemic radiation.

In conclusion, Scientists are always learning more about cancer and the methodologies to fight against cancer. They're also trying to find ways to catch cancer early, before it spreads too much. So, even though cancer is a tough challenge, we're all working together to keep our bodies healthy and happy.