Cancer – What is It and How Can It Affect You?

Cancer

Cancer is a group of diseases that develop across time and involve the uncontrolled division of your body’s cells. They can start in any part of the body and can spread to other parts if not treated.

The origin and development of cancer are complex, but there are several factors that have a big impact on your chances of getting it. For example, having a family history of cancer or being exposed to certain substances can increase your risk.

Many of these risks are preventable if you do some things to reduce them. For example, avoiding smoking and chewing tobacco can lower your risk of lung cancer. Similarly, eating healthy foods, cutting back on alcohol and taking steps to keep your skin safe from the sun can also reduce your risk of some types of cancer.

You can also ask your doctor about things that might be a sign of cancer, including sores on your skin or mouth that don’t heal, unexplained bleeding, or a cough or hoarseness that won’t go away. Other signs include blood in your poop (a sign of colon or rectal cancer), a change in the color of your urine (a sign of bladder cancer), or unusual weight loss.

Early detection is important for people with cancer because it has a good chance of saving their lives. This is because treatment works best when the cancer is at an early stage and hasn’t spread to other parts of your body.

The disease develops step by step, over long periods of time. It is an accumulation of a variety of molecular changes that result in a malignant state, in which your body’s cells divide without control.

These changes occur in the chromosomes that make up your cells. They can be caused by a number of things, but they most commonly come from mutations in your genes. Some of these mutations are so small that they don’t affect your health at all, while others can cause the cells to grow and divide much faster than normal.

Some of these mutations may be caused by your lifestyle choices, such as a lack of exercise, poor diet or high levels of stress. Other cancer-causing factors can be environmental, such as too much exposure to sunlight or chemical toxins in the air.

Your doctor will talk with you about your symptoms and do tests to determine whether they are caused by cancer or another health condition. If they are, the tests will help your doctor find out what’s causing them and recommend ways to treat them.

If your doctor thinks you have cancer, he or she may do a biopsy to get a sample of the tumor to examine. During the biopsy, your doctor will look for certain markers that can indicate cancer, such as DNA.

A biopsy can also identify which type of cancer you have. For example, a biopsy of your throat may show that you have lung cancer, while a biopsy of your breast may show that you have breast cancer or ovarian cancer.

Cancer is a group of diseases that develop across time and involve the uncontrolled division of your body’s cells. They can start in any part of the body and can spread to other parts if not treated. The origin and development of cancer are complex, but there are several factors that have a big impact on your chances of getting it. For example, having a family history of cancer or being exposed to certain substances can increase your risk. Many of these risks are preventable if you do some things to reduce them. For example, avoiding smoking and chewing tobacco can lower your risk of lung cancer. Similarly, eating healthy foods, cutting back on alcohol and taking steps to keep your skin safe from the sun can also reduce your risk of some types of cancer. You can also ask your doctor about things that might be a sign of cancer, including sores on your skin or mouth that don’t heal, unexplained bleeding, or a cough or hoarseness that won’t go away. Other signs include blood in your poop (a sign of colon or rectal cancer), a change in the color of your urine (a sign of bladder cancer), or unusual weight loss. Early detection is important for people with cancer because it has a good chance of saving their lives. This is because treatment works best when the cancer is at an early stage and hasn’t spread to other parts of your body. The disease develops step by step, over long periods of time. It is an accumulation of a variety of molecular changes that result in a malignant state, in which your body’s cells divide without control. These changes occur in the chromosomes that make up your cells. They can be caused by a number of things, but they most commonly come from mutations in your genes. Some of these mutations are so small that they don’t affect your health at all, while others can cause the cells to grow and divide much faster than normal. Some of these mutations may be caused by your lifestyle choices, such as a lack of exercise, poor diet or high levels of stress. Other cancer-causing factors can be environmental, such as too much exposure to sunlight or chemical toxins in the air. Your doctor will talk with you about your symptoms and do tests to determine whether they are caused by cancer or another health condition. If they are, the tests will help your doctor find out what’s causing them and recommend ways to treat them. If your doctor thinks you have cancer, he or she may do a biopsy to get a sample of the tumor to examine. During the biopsy, your doctor will look for certain markers that can indicate cancer, such as DNA. A biopsy can also identify which type of cancer you have. For example, a biopsy of your throat may show that you have lung cancer, while a biopsy of your breast may show that you have breast cancer or ovarian cancer.