What is Cancer and How Can it Be Treated?
Cancer is a disease that occurs when cells start growing and dividing faster than they should. The abnormal cells can form tumors and invade nearby tissue and organs, affecting how the body functions. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, but scientists are making progress in treating the disease and preventing it from spreading.
Cancer starts when genes in cells change and become abnormal over time, which is called mutation. Mutations can affect all types of cells in the body, but they are most common in blood cells and cells that line the digestive tract, lungs and bladder. Mutations can also occur in cells that make proteins that control how the cell grows and divides. When the mutations cause the cells to grow and divide too much, they can develop into cancer.
Most cancers start in a single area of the body, but over time they can spread to other parts of the body. These new areas of cancer are called metastases. Cancer may also spread to other parts of the body through the lymph nodes, which are groups of immune cells located throughout the body.
When cancer is found, tests are done to find out how big the cancer is and if it has spread from where it started (the primary site). This information helps doctors choose the best treatment for each person.
There are many ways to treat cancer, depending on the type of cancer and where it is in the body. Some types of cancer can be treated with medicine, radiation or surgery. Other types of cancer need other kinds of treatment, such as chemotherapy or biologic therapies.
During cancer treatment, it is important to take care of yourself physically and emotionally. HonorHealth offers support services to help patients and their families cope with the side effects of treatment.
Some things can increase a person’s risk of developing cancer, such as being overweight, smoking cigarettes or not getting enough exercise. It is also important to get routine checkups so that health problems can be detected early and treated if needed, such as skin cancer.
Cancer is a disease that occurs when cells start growing and dividing faster than they should. The abnormal cells can form tumors and invade nearby tissue and organs, affecting how the body functions. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, but scientists are making progress in treating the disease and preventing it from spreading. Cancer starts when genes in cells change and become abnormal over time, which is called mutation. Mutations can affect all types of cells in the body, but they are most common in blood cells and cells that line the digestive tract, lungs and bladder. Mutations can also occur in cells that make proteins that control how the cell grows and divides. When the mutations cause the cells to grow and divide too much, they can develop into cancer. Most cancers start in a single area of the body, but over time they can spread to other parts of the body. These new areas of cancer are called metastases. Cancer may also spread to other parts of the body through the lymph nodes, which are groups of immune cells located throughout the body. When cancer is found, tests are done to find out how big the cancer is and if it has spread from where it started (the primary site). This information helps doctors choose the best treatment for each person. There are many ways to treat cancer, depending on the type of cancer and where it is in the body. Some types of cancer can be treated with medicine, radiation or surgery. Other types of cancer need other kinds of treatment, such as chemotherapy or biologic therapies. During cancer treatment, it is important to take care of yourself physically and emotionally. HonorHealth offers support services to help patients and their families cope with the side effects of treatment. Some things can increase a person’s risk of developing cancer, such as being overweight, smoking cigarettes or not getting enough exercise. It is also important to get routine checkups so that health problems can be detected early and treated if needed, such as skin cancer.