A Simple Guide to Cancer
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This is a summary of all the articles that I have done on the different types of Cancer.
There is a common thread which runs through all the articles such as the risk factors, causes and treatments.
What is Cancer?
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A normal cell can be compared to a "
hero" because it
saves the body by repairing any damage or injury to the tissues of the body.
A person's body is made up of many types of cells which normally
grow, divide and die. Sometimes, the cells
mutate (change to abnormal cells) and begin to grow and divide more quickly than normal cells.
Rather than dying,
these abnormal cells clump together to form
tumors.
If these tumors are cancerous (also called "
malignant"), the cancer cells can
invade and kill your body's own healthy tissues becoming a "
villian" in the process.
By contrast,
noncancerous tumors (also called "
benign")
do not spread to other parts of the body.
What are the dangers of Cancer?
--------------------------------------
Normal healthy cells grow and multiply in an orderly, controlled manner.
Cancer cells on the other hand
multiply uncontrollably.
They do not function normally and instead form a
growth or tumour which can enter the blood and
spread to nearby tissues and organs as well as to other parts of the body.
Cancer kills by:
Destroying important organs
Disturbing normal body functions
Blocking important blood vessels or air passages.
Cancer is really a
group of diseases. There are many types of cancer which can arise from the different types of cells in the body.
What are the most common cancers?
--------------------------------------------
MOST COMMON TYPES OF CANCER IN THE WORLD ARE:
Lung
Colon & rectum(large intestine)
Breast
Ovary
Stomach
Cervix(neck of the womb)
Liver
Prostate
Nasopharynx(back of the nose)
Lymphomas
What are the causes of Cancer?
-------------------------------------
1.
Genetic -family history,chromosonal abnormality
2.
Viruses & Bacteria -hepatitis B, Epstein Barr, HIV : Helicobacter pyrori
3.
Smoking - chemicals from cigarette smoke
4.
Alcohol - liver cirrhosis
5.
Chemicals -pesticides, asbestos,preservatives,chemotherapy, aflatoxins
6.
Radiation -from sun rays, x-rays, radiotherapy,nuclear plants
7.
Obesity - fat can cause breast, ovarian cancer
8.
Age - mutations increase with age
How can you prevent yourself from cancer?
---------------------------------------------------
Cancer can be prevented.
Cancer is not contagious like the flu or chickenpox.
About
one-third of all cancers can be prevented from occurring:
1.
A healthy lifestyle
------------------------
get some
exercise, a
well balanced diet and
avoid stress.
2.
Smoking
-------------
avoid cigarettes and cigarette smoke.
Cigarette smoke contains about 40 different cancer-causing substances.
Almost all of those who develop
lung cancer are
smokers.
Smoking also causes cancers of the
mouth, throat, larynx , oesophagus,
stomach, pancreas, kidney and bladder.
Breathing in other people's smoke can
increase your risk of developing lung cancer, so ask any smokers not to smoke in your presence.
What you can do
Don't smoke.
If you do, then
stop.
Ask your family and friends to
support your efforts to quit.
Get rid of all your
cigarettes and lighters.
Enrol in a
programme that helps smokers to quit.
Spend
less time with friends who smoke.
Spend
more time with non-smoking friends in smoke-free places.
There are
chewing gum and skin patches with nicotine to help you to stop smoking.
3.
Food and chemicals
--------------------------
avoid any
cancer causing chemicals such as
asbestos or nitrosamines from preserved food.
The
chemicals used to preserve foods like ham, bacon, luncheon meat may form cancer-causing substances when they are digested.
These substances have also been found in
salted or preserved foods (such as salted fish or pickled vegetables) and may lead to
cancer of the stomach and nasopharynx.
Eat them less often.
Peanuts, seeds and grains that are not stored properly often become
mouldy.
Some of these moulds produce
toxins(aflatoxins) that can cause
liver cancer.
What you can do:
1.Have
some fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and fibre which help to reduce the risk of developing
colorectal and stomach cancer.
Choose dark-green leafy vegetables and orange-yellow fruits as these contain greater amounts of vitamins and minerals.
2.Take more
fibre by eating
wholemeal bread or wholegrain cereals such as brown rice.
3.
Eat less salted, pickled, preserved and processed foods.
Store nuts in air-tight containers to prevent them from going
mouldy.
4.Obesity
-----------
People who are
overweight are more likely to develop
cancers of the colon, rectum, breast and prostate.
What you can do
Exercise regularly .
To maintain a healthy weight, take up a
regular exercise or sport.
Aim to
stay in the healthy weight range.
Exercise for at least 20 minutes three times a week.
Play a
game or sport that you enjoy and can do with your friends or family.
Eat less foods high in fat or sugar.
Trim away fat from meat and
skin from poultry before cooking.
Change to foods
low in fat like skimmed milk, reduced fat cheese or low-fat yoghurt.
Use
low-fat cooking methods like stewing, baking, steaming or boiling instead of deep frying.
Choose
healthier snacks like fresh fruit or wholemeal crackers.
5.
Radiation
--------------
radiation from sun, x-rays, nuclear plants can cause
damage to the skin,bones and other organs of the body resulting in
cancer.
What you can do
Avoid sunburn and prevent overexposure to the sun.
The
ultraviolet rays from the sun damage the skin.
Sunburn may lead to
skin cancer.
Avoid overexposure to the sun, especially if
you are fair-skinned.
Stay in the shade whenever possible.
Wear a hat or a cap.
Use a
sunscreen or sunblock with a sun protection factor of at least 15 on any exposed areas of skin.
6. Workplace chemicals
----------------------------
exposure to cancer-causing substances at work can lead to
cancer of lungs, liver, kidneys, skin. Always follow the safety regulations as they are meant to protect you.
What you can do
Hide behind protective shields or stay in the "
safe" area.
Remember to wear
protective equipment (like gloves, masks or goggles).
Be careful when you handle the equipment or the chemicals.
Learn about
safety drills and what to do in case of
emergencies.
6.
Alcohol
-----------
People who frequently drink large amounts of alcohol are likely to develop
liver cancer.
They are also at risk of developing
cancer of the mouth, throat and oesophagus .
What you can do
Limit yourself to
not more than two standard drinks a day.
One standard drink is roughly equal to:
One can of beer(285 mls)
One glass of wine (120 mls)
One measure of spirits(30 mls)
Alternate your drinks with non-alcoholic ones.
Drink them
slowly so they last longer.
How to screen for Cancer:
-------------------------------
Mneumonics for Warning Signs of Cancer
-------------------------------------------------
Be on the alert for:
CANCERS
1.
Changes in bowel or bladder
2.
A lump in breast or elsewhere
3.
Nagging cough, hoarseness,
4.
Changes in the size, shape or colour of a mole on the skin
5.
Extraordinary bleeding from the nose or any other part of the body, and blood in the stools.
6.
Reccuring Indigestion
7.
Sore or an ulcer anywhere on the body, including the mouth, which does not heal properly.
Look out for these
early warning signs and let your doctor know.
What you can do
Inform your doctor about it right away.
He can
examine you and do some tests to find out if your problem is serious.
Regular
breast self examination (BSE) helps to detect breast cancer at a stage when it can still be treated and even cured.
Learn how to do
BSE properly and then
do it every month.
See your doctor for a breast examination once every two years.
Women over 40 should see their doctor once a year.
Mammograms are special X-rays of the breasts to look for lumps.
They are usually recommended for women over 50.
Regular Pap Smears at least once in 2 years should be done for women who are sexually active. A Pap smear is a simple, quick and painless test that detects cervical cancer at an early stage when it has a good chance of cure.
Women infected with certain sexually transmitted diseases have a higher chance of getting cervical cancer.
Speak to your doctor about your
personal and family medical history of cancer.
Certain medical conditions may increase your risk of developing some cancers.
Examples are people who are carriers of the Hepatitis B virus are more likely to develop
liver cancer.
Some cancers (like
breast and colorectal cancers) tend to run in families.
If your
parents, brothers or sisters have had
cancer, discuss it with your doctor.
If you have any risks of cancer, the doctor can tell you what steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
He may recommend
some screening tests to help determine your risk for developing the same cancer.
In fact, about
one-third of all cancers can be cured if they are detected and treated early enough.
Recognising the
early warning signs and
going for regular check-ups can save your life if cancer strikes.
What are the Treatment of Cancers ?
-------------------------------------------
Basic treatments for cancer are traditionally surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
However with the advancement of medical treatment, there are more choices of treatments.
Surgery - is still the mainstay of cancer treatment in the early stages and other stages except for leukemia, nasopharyngeal and some rare cancer.
Radiotherapy-standard, intensity modulated radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, interventional radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy is used particularly in nasopharyngeal cancer, brain cancer and in conjuction with surgery. It can be curative as well as palliative( help to relieve pain)
Chemotherapy - standard,molecular targetted therapy is fast becoming the choice for many cancers because of newer drugs with lesser effects and more effective than before.
Hormonotherapy - espcially for breast,ovary,uterine,prostate, testicular cancer
Immunotherapy - immune systems are boosted with vaccines against certain viruses such as HPV(Human Papilloma Virus)
Stem cells - can help in replacing killed cancer cells with normal cells usually used in conjunction with chemotherapy
Bone marrow transplant - similar to stem cells therapy
Organ transplant especially in liver cancer
Other ways of treatments:
Healthy life style will help to strengthen the patient during the cancer treatment
Well balanced Diet will also help to improve the healing process
Meditation and avoidance of stress reduce the reduced immunity of patients and pyschological effect of cancer treatment
Finally:
Cancer can be cured.
Many people are afraid of cancer because they think it is incurable.
In fact, about one-third of all cancers can be cured if they are detected and treated early enough.
Modern medicine has also improved the survival rates of most cancers.
