Cancer – What Causes It and How to Get Rid of It
Cancer is a collection of abnormal cells that grow, divide and spread throughout the body. There are more than 100 types of cancer, each with its own characteristics. Some are very rare and others are more common. No two cancers are alike, even two cancers in the same person. This is why different treatments work better for some people than others.
Cells are the building blocks of the body, and they grow and replace themselves as needed. But when a group of cells grows out of control, it forms a mass called a tumor. Cancer can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph systems. This is called metastasis.
Scientists haven’t completely understood what causes cancer. But they do know that some things can make it more likely to happen, such as smoking and sun exposure. And they know that some cancers can run in families. These are called risk factors.
But the most important thing to remember is that not everyone who gets cancer has a family history of it. And that there are many ways to lower your risk, including staying at a healthy weight, not smoking, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol, and protecting yourself from the sun.
All cancers start in cells. But the genes inside them are what really makes them go wrong. Cancers can be caused by a single genetic mutation or by many gene changes at the same time. These changes can turn off the genes that keep cells from growing out of control or switch them on so they grow and multiply too much.
When a normal cell develops these genetic changes, it breaks free of the usual restraints on cell growth and starts growing out of control. As it continues to grow, it produces more cancer cells that grow and divide too much. These new cells may stay within the tissue where they started (called in situ cancer), or they can break away from the tumor and travel through the blood and lymph to other parts of the body, forming new tumors there.
The good news is that there are many treatments to help fight cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem-cell transplantation. And scientists are working all the time to find more. The goal is to kill the cancer cells and prevent them from spreading. If you have cancer, talk to your doctor about the treatment options that are right for you. And remember that there are ways to lower your risk, including maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol, protecting yourself from the sun, and getting regular screenings.
Cancer is a collection of abnormal cells that grow, divide and spread throughout the body. There are more than 100 types of cancer, each with its own characteristics. Some are very rare and others are more common. No two cancers are alike, even two cancers in the same person. This is why different treatments work better for some people than others. Cells are the building blocks of the body, and they grow and replace themselves as needed. But when a group of cells grows out of control, it forms a mass called a tumor. Cancer can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph systems. This is called metastasis. Scientists haven’t completely understood what causes cancer. But they do know that some things can make it more likely to happen, such as smoking and sun exposure. And they know that some cancers can run in families. These are called risk factors. But the most important thing to remember is that not everyone who gets cancer has a family history of it. And that there are many ways to lower your risk, including staying at a healthy weight, not smoking, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol, and protecting yourself from the sun. All cancers start in cells. But the genes inside them are what really makes them go wrong. Cancers can be caused by a single genetic mutation or by many gene changes at the same time. These changes can turn off the genes that keep cells from growing out of control or switch them on so they grow and multiply too much. When a normal cell develops these genetic changes, it breaks free of the usual restraints on cell growth and starts growing out of control. As it continues to grow, it produces more cancer cells that grow and divide too much. These new cells may stay within the tissue where they started (called in situ cancer), or they can break away from the tumor and travel through the blood and lymph to other parts of the body, forming new tumors there. The good news is that there are many treatments to help fight cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem-cell transplantation. And scientists are working all the time to find more. The goal is to kill the cancer cells and prevent them from spreading. If you have cancer, talk to your doctor about the treatment options that are right for you. And remember that there are ways to lower your risk, including maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol, protecting yourself from the sun, and getting regular screenings.