The Facts about Cancer

Understanding and Coping With Cancer

Cancer is a highly varied disease that involves an uncontrollable replication of cells in the body. All of the cells in our body continuously replicate and generate new cells and keep our bodies in healthy working condition. When cells become cancerous, their ability to replicate is no longer orderly and controlled, and they continue to multiply even after new cells are no longer needed. These extra cells accumulate in the form of a tissue substance called a tumor or growth.

When a tumor is benign, meaning that it is not cancerous and won’t spread to other regions of the body, it is usually removed without conflict and is unlikely to reemerge later in life. However, if the tumor is malignant, meaning that it is cancerous, it can spread and disrupt neighboring organs, or individual cancer cells can dislodge and implant elsewhere in the body, forming another tumor.

Cancer Awareness and Causes

Although new triggers for cancer are being discovered daily, right now the main known causes of cancer involve an intermingling set of environmental and genetic influences. One’s susceptibility to cancer depends largely on one’s genetic make-up and family medical history. However, many cases of cancer have been traced to environmental factors such as diet, physical activity level, smoking and alcohol consumption, and contact with high levels of ultraviolet light and radiation. Certain cancer-causing agents, such as asbestos, uranium, and nickel, also have been known to trigger the development of cancerous cells.

Cancer Symptoms

While the characteristics of cancer are highly varied, considering the fact that the disease comes in hundreds of different forms, there are a number of general cancer symptoms found in most types of cancer. Some symptoms common in almost all cancer patients include high fever, soreness, exhaustion, weight loss, and changes in skin coloring. These symptoms usually occur due to the presence of tumors, which can press up against organs and grow larger, causing pain and hormonal imbalances to occur. However, all cancers have their own sets of specific symptoms, which must be considered individually to determine the particular cancer case being examined. This is why cancer is diagnosed through an intensive process, usually consisting of a combination of blood testing, X-ray testing, and physical examination. Some common cancer treatments include radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. Both radiation and chemotherapy treatments act by attacking the RNA or DNA of the cancer cells to inhibit them from continuing to replicate. However, chemotherapy and radiation does not differentiate healthy cells from cancerous cells, and so the treatment also tends to kill off many healthy cells in the process, making patients very weak and tired during the treatment. Surgical oncology involves surgically removing cancerous tumors from the body, or inserting healthy tissue into the body through a transplant. Deciding which treatment is used depends on the particular cancer case, and on what stage the cancer has reached by the time of treatment. For more information on cancer treatment contact the American Cancer Society.