Cancer – What is It and How Can It Be Treated?
Cancer is a disease that starts in cells that grow and multiply out of control. When cancer spreads, it can invade and destroy healthy tissue around it. Cancer is a complex disease, and scientists are constantly researching new ways to treat it. They are working on new medicines that block the blood supply that tumors need to grow, correct genetic defects that cause cancer, and assist the body’s natural defenses in fighting the disease.
Cells that have a mutation in their genes may not work properly and start to divide more often than they should or make too many proteins. These cells can then continue to grow and form a mass of abnormal cells called a tumor. Some tumors are benign (not cancer) and do not grow or spread, while others are malignant (cancer).
Scientists have found that a person’s chance of getting cancer depends on both genes and their environment. For example, some types of cancer can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites, and other environmental factors like ionizing radiation, chemicals and pollutants. A person’s family history of cancer is also a factor. Having a family member with cancer increases the chances that a person will get the disease. This is why it is important to talk to your doctor about your family history of cancer.
The most common ways to treat cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. A person’s doctor will select the treatment that is best for them based on the type of cancer they have, where it is located and how far it has spread.
Some types of cancer can be prevented by avoiding tobacco and eating a balanced diet. Regular exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, is also good for your health and can help reduce your risk of cancer.
People who are diagnosed with cancer have many different symptoms. Some of them are pain, weight loss or changes in bowel movements. Other symptoms include fever, cough, breathlessness or swelling of the skin. Cancer can also cause other problems, such as nerve damage that can result in weakness on one side of the body or headaches. Cancer that develops in the brain can sometimes affect thinking and memory and cause headaches and seizures.
Cancer cells can escape from a tumor and travel to other parts of the body to grow and spread. This process is called metastasis. In some cases, the cancer cells change so that the immune system no longer recognizes them as a threat and does not fight them. This is a very rare reaction to cancer and is called paraneoplastic syndromes. Other times the cancer cells take over other organs and tissues, such as the bone marrow, where they become cancerous stem cells that can cause leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.
Cancer is a disease that starts in cells that grow and multiply out of control. When cancer spreads, it can invade and destroy healthy tissue around it. Cancer is a complex disease, and scientists are constantly researching new ways to treat it. They are working on new medicines that block the blood supply that tumors need to grow, correct genetic defects that cause cancer, and assist the body’s natural defenses in fighting the disease. Cells that have a mutation in their genes may not work properly and start to divide more often than they should or make too many proteins. These cells can then continue to grow and form a mass of abnormal cells called a tumor. Some tumors are benign (not cancer) and do not grow or spread, while others are malignant (cancer). Scientists have found that a person’s chance of getting cancer depends on both genes and their environment. For example, some types of cancer can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites, and other environmental factors like ionizing radiation, chemicals and pollutants. A person’s family history of cancer is also a factor. Having a family member with cancer increases the chances that a person will get the disease. This is why it is important to talk to your doctor about your family history of cancer. The most common ways to treat cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. A person’s doctor will select the treatment that is best for them based on the type of cancer they have, where it is located and how far it has spread. Some types of cancer can be prevented by avoiding tobacco and eating a balanced diet. Regular exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, is also good for your health and can help reduce your risk of cancer. People who are diagnosed with cancer have many different symptoms. Some of them are pain, weight loss or changes in bowel movements. Other symptoms include fever, cough, breathlessness or swelling of the skin. Cancer can also cause other problems, such as nerve damage that can result in weakness on one side of the body or headaches. Cancer that develops in the brain can sometimes affect thinking and memory and cause headaches and seizures. Cancer cells can escape from a tumor and travel to other parts of the body to grow and spread. This process is called metastasis. In some cases, the cancer cells change so that the immune system no longer recognizes them as a threat and does not fight them. This is a very rare reaction to cancer and is called paraneoplastic syndromes. Other times the cancer cells take over other organs and tissues, such as the bone marrow, where they become cancerous stem cells that can cause leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.