Introduction
Cancer is often thought of as an untreatable, unbearably painful disease with no cure. However popular this view of cancer may be, it is exaggerated and over-generalized. Cancer is undoubtedly a serious and potentially life-threatening illness. However, it is a misconception to think that all forms of cancer are untreatable and deadly. The truth of the matter is that there are multiple types of cancer, many of which can today be effectively treated so as to eliminate, reduce or slow the impact of the disease on patients’ lives.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells. The abnormal growth and division observed in cancer cells is caused by damage in these cells’ DNA (genetic material inside cells that determines cellular characteristics and functioning). There are a variety of ways that cellular DNA can become damaged and defective. Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign. More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things occur:
- A cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion
- The cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis.
Cancer types can be grouped into broader categories. The main categories of cancer include:
1) Carcinoma – Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
2) Sarcoma – Cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
3) Leukemia – Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
4) Lymphoma and myeloma – Cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.
5) Central nervous system cancers – Cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.
Causes of Evolution of Cancer –
- Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die.
- Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death.
- Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form.
- Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.
There are many causes of cancers, including:
- Benzene and other chemicals
- Certain poisonous mushrooms and a type of poison that can grow on peanut plants (aflatoxins)
- Certain viruses
- Radiation
- Sunlight
- Tobacco
However, the cause of many cancers remains unknown.
Symptoms of Cancer–
Symptoms of cancer depend on the type and location of the tumor. Some cancers may not have any symptoms at all. In certain cancers, such as gallbladder cancer, symptoms often do not start until the disease has reached an advanced stage.
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Malaise
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Swollen or enlarged lymph nodes are common and likely to be present early.
- If cancer spreads to the brain, patients may experience vertigo, headaches, or seizures.
- Spreading to the lungs may cause coughing and shortness of breath. In addition, the liver may become enlarged and cause jaundice and bones can become painful, brittle, and break easily.
Types of Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Blood Cancer
- Brain Tumor
- Bone Cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Bile Duct Surgery
- Breast Cancer
- Colorectal CancerÂ
- Cervical Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Cervix Cancer
- Endometrial Cancer
- Esophageal Cancer
- Gallbladder Cancer
- Head & Neck Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung Cancer
- Lymphoma
- Laryngeal Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Malignant Melanoma or Skin Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Nasopharyngeal Cancer
- Nasal Cavity Cancer
- Oropharyngeal Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Oral Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Paranasal Sinuses Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Sarcoma Cancer
- Stomach Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
Diagnosis of Cancer– Occasionally, x-rays obtained for other reasons such as an injury, show abnormalities that might be cancer. Confirmation that cancer is present requires other tests (termed diagnostic tests). After cancer is diagnosed, it is staged. Staging is a way of describing how advanced the cancer has become, including such criteria as how big it is and whether it has spread to neighboring tissue or more distantly to lymph nodes or other organs. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, and ultrasound scans are used regularly in order to detect where a tumor is located. CT scans, MRIs, and nuclear medicine scans are diagnostic procedures and are not conclusive evidence of malignant cancer. Only a biopsy and a pathologists report can give you a definitive diagnosis of cancer. The type of surgery and/or biopsy will be dependent on the location of the possible type of cancer diagnosis you may be hearing.
Treatment for cancer – The treatment for your cancer will be determined by the type of cancer diagnosis you have received, as well as the extent to which it has developed. Three cancer treatments most commonly used are surgery, chemo therapy, and radiation treatments.
1) Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is generally used to treat cancer that has spread or metastasized because the medicines travel throughout the entire body. It is a necessary treatment for some forms of leukemia and lymphoma. Chemotherapy treatment occurs in cycles so the body has time to heal between doses. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells, either by preventing them from multiplying or by causing the cells to self-destruct. Chemotherapy can reach nearly every part of your body to kill cancer cells, no matter where they may be. Chemotherapy utilizes a powerful combination of drugs that are either taken by mouth or injected directly into the bloodstream
- Radiation Therapy – Radiation therapy is a painless method of treating cancer using radiation energy. The radiation energy kills cancer by focusing high energy rays on the cancer cells. Radiotherapy utilizes high-energy gamma-rays that are emitted from metals such as radium or high-energy x-rays that are created in a special machine. Radiation is most commonly used to treat localized cancers as opposed to cancer that has spread throughout the body.
- Immunotherapy – Immunotherapy is still considered experimental. Local immunotherapy injects a treatment into an affected area, for example, to cause inflammation that causes a tumor to shrink. Systemic immunotherapy treats the whole body by administering an agent such as the protein interferon alpha that can shrink tumors. Immunotherapy can also be considered non-specific if it improves cancer-fighting abilities by stimulating the entire immune system, and it can be considered targeted if the treatment specifically tells the immune system to destroy cancer cells. Immunotherapy attempts to influence your body’s own immune system to fight off remaining cancer cells. Immunotherapy can either stimulate your body’s own defenses or supplement them, for example, putting antibodies or immune cells from another person into your body.
- Hormone Therapy – Hormones are chemicals produced by glands in the body and are circulated in the blood. Hormone therapy, hormone treatment, or endocrine therapy is any treatment that adds, blocks, or removes hormones. Hormone therapy is designed to alter hormone production in the body so that cancer cells stop growing or are killed completely. By reducing hormone production in your body or by blocking the cancer’s ability to accept your hormones, hormone therapy can prevent your cancer from growing.
Surgeries for treating cancer –
There are different types procedures followed for cancer treatment.
- Adjuvant
Therapy
- Biological Therapy
- Bone Marrow Transplant
- Brachytherapy Treatment
- Cancer Surgery
- Chemotherapy Treatment
- Combination Therapy
- Cyber Knife Steriotactic Radiosurgery
- Gamma Knife
- Hormone Therapy
- Linear Accelerator Treatment
- Imrt
- Linear Accelerator
- Neoadjuvant Therapy
- Radiotherapy
- Radiation Therapy
- Steriotactic Radiosurgery Treatment
Prevention of Cancer –
- Smoke tobacco or drink alcohol significantly lowers the risk of several types of cancer – most notably lung, throat, mouth, and liver cancer.
- Diet is also an important part of cancer prevention since what we eat has been linked to the disease. Physicians recommend diets that are low in fat and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
- Certain vaccinations have been associated with the prevention of some cancers.
- Some cancer prevention is based on systematic screening in order to detect small irregularities or tumors as early as possible even if there are no clear symptoms present.
Prognosis– The end result depends on the type of cancer. Even among people with one type of cancer, the outcome varies depending on the stage of the tumor when they are diagnosed. Some cancers can be cured. Some cancers that are not curable can still be treated well. And some patients can live for many years with their cancer. Other tumors are quickly life-threatening.
