What Types of Cancer Are There?
Cancer is a group of diseases that can develop almost anywhere in the body. It begins when genetic changes interfere with the way cells grow and divide. These cells form a tumor, which may be cancerous or benign.
In most cases, cancer starts in cells that are part of a specific tissue or organ (a primary tumor). But it can also start in cells that produce blood cells, called lymphocytes. This happens in some types of cancer, such as lymphoma and leukemia, but not in others.
A tumor is made up of cancerous cells and some normal tissue around them. When it grows, the tumor can block a nearby nerve and cause problems. This can make it difficult to move or feel certain parts of your body. It can also affect the immune system and lead to other problems such as infection or a weakening of the bone marrow.
There are about 100 different kinds of cancer and each type is very different from the other. This can make it difficult to know which treatment will work best for you.
One of the main differences is that some types of cancer are more likely to spread to other parts of the body than others. This is called metastatic disease and may lead to a worse prognosis.
It is very important to find out how advanced your cancer is. This will help your doctor determine which treatments are best for you.
You can also ask your health care professional about home remedies and alternative therapies. These are not necessarily safe for everyone and can be harmful or dangerous to some people, so you should always talk with your doctor about them before using them.
Many types of cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. These methods kill cancer cells by causing them to die off. Other techniques, such as targeted therapy, use drugs to disable cancer cells so they cannot spread.
During chemotherapy, doctors put special chemicals into your body that destroy the cancer cells and some normal cells in the same area. They may give you a pill, a liquid, or an intravenous injection of the drug.
They may also give you radiation to kill cancer cells that are in your blood or the fluid that surrounds the organs and tissues. This is called external beam radiation, which is given by a radioactive seed placed into your skin or near the tumor; an internal beam delivered through a needle in your veins (intravenous or IV), or a combination of these methods.
Some forms of cancer are treated with a type of radiation called proton beam therapy. It works by causing your tumor cells to break down, and the damaged parts of the cell die off.
This type of therapy is often used to treat brain and spinal cord tumors. It can also be used to kill cancer cells that have spread from other areas of your body.
Cancer is a group of diseases that can develop almost anywhere in the body. It begins when genetic changes interfere with the way cells grow and divide. These cells form a tumor, which may be cancerous or benign. In most cases, cancer starts in cells that are part of a specific tissue or organ (a primary tumor). But it can also start in cells that produce blood cells, called lymphocytes. This happens in some types of cancer, such as lymphoma and leukemia, but not in others. A tumor is made up of cancerous cells and some normal tissue around them. When it grows, the tumor can block a nearby nerve and cause problems. This can make it difficult to move or feel certain parts of your body. It can also affect the immune system and lead to other problems such as infection or a weakening of the bone marrow. There are about 100 different kinds of cancer and each type is very different from the other. This can make it difficult to know which treatment will work best for you. One of the main differences is that some types of cancer are more likely to spread to other parts of the body than others. This is called metastatic disease and may lead to a worse prognosis. It is very important to find out how advanced your cancer is. This will help your doctor determine which treatments are best for you. You can also ask your health care professional about home remedies and alternative therapies. These are not necessarily safe for everyone and can be harmful or dangerous to some people, so you should always talk with your doctor about them before using them. Many types of cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. These methods kill cancer cells by causing them to die off. Other techniques, such as targeted therapy, use drugs to disable cancer cells so they cannot spread. During chemotherapy, doctors put special chemicals into your body that destroy the cancer cells and some normal cells in the same area. They may give you a pill, a liquid, or an intravenous injection of the drug. They may also give you radiation to kill cancer cells that are in your blood or the fluid that surrounds the organs and tissues. This is called external beam radiation, which is given by a radioactive seed placed into your skin or near the tumor; an internal beam delivered through a needle in your veins (intravenous or IV), or a combination of these methods. Some forms of cancer are treated with a type of radiation called proton beam therapy. It works by causing your tumor cells to break down, and the damaged parts of the cell die off. This type of therapy is often used to treat brain and spinal cord tumors. It can also be used to kill cancer cells that have spread from other areas of your body.