Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells spread to other parts of the body through blood and lymphs system. Cancer is not a disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 types of cancer. Most cancer are named after the organ or the cell in which they start. For eg :the cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer. The main categories of cancer are:
CARCINOMA:It is a cancer that begins in the skin or in the tissue or cover the internal organ.
SARCOMA:It is a cancer that begins in the blood vessels, fat muscles, bone cartilage or other connective or supportive tissue.
LEUKEMIA:Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as bone marrow and causes large number of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
LYMPHOMA and MYELOMA:It begins in the cells of immune system.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CANCER:It begins in the tissues of brain and spinal cord
ORIGINS OF CANCER
All cancer begins in the cell, which is the basic structural unit of life. The body is made up of many cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cell as the need to keep the body healthy. As the cells become old or die the are replaced by new cells. Sometimes this process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA)of the cell can become damaged or changed producing mutations that effects the normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cell may form a mass of tissues called tumor.
The tumor can be BENIGN or MALIGNANT tumor.
BENIGN TUMOR:
These are non cancerous tumor. They often can be remove and in most cases they do not come back. Cells in this tumor do not spread to other parts of the body.
MALIGNANT TUMOR:
These are cancerous tumor. Cells in these tumor invade with tissues and spread to other parts of the body. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to the another part is called metastasis
TREATMENT FOR CANCER:
There are many treatment methods implemented to cure cancer. Some of them include standard methods like the surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
CANCER TREATMENT AND SURGERY
Cancer can be entirely removed by a surgery, in case of breast cancer the surgery performed is named as mastectomy. In this surgery either the tumor is removed or the entire organ is removed. In case of metastasis stage cancer, this type of treatment is not possible because it might spread to other parts of the body.
Surgery in addition to removal of primary tumor is often necessary for staging. Staging is the process of determining the extend of the disease and whether metastasized to regional lymph nodes. It is the major determinant of prognosis.
CHEMOTHERAPY
This type of treatment uses the administration of the drugs either orally or intravenously. This treatment aims either to kill the malignant cell or to stop there spread and multiplication. This therapy is given in regular doses and cycles. There is no chemotherapy without any side effects, but the side effects are temporary and subside as the time goes. Keep in mind that this therapy tries to recover the patient and fights the disease.
RADIATION THERAPY
Similarly as chemotherapy, radiation therapy also aims on killing of diseased cells if possible or stop them from reproducing. This method uses high amount of x-rays to damage the DNA cells, thereby killing the diseased cells. Though this method kills the normal cells the damage caused by the diseased cell is more then the normal cells. The normal cell in due course of time repairs the damage caused. This is the reason the radiation therapy is given at regular cycles to give time for the normal cells to recover.
HORMONE THERAPY
Certain hormones are said to promote the growth of the diseased cells for example the estrogen hormones are said to promote the growth of breast cancer cells so to inhibit this process certain estrogen drugs are given to the patient. These hormones are naturally produced substance that acts as a chemical messenger to assist in normal control and functions in the bodies cell
IMMUNOTHERAPY TREATMENT
It is also one of the cancer treatment method given now-a-days for better results. Immunotherapeutic drugs work by strengthening the immune system, which is the body's natural defense mechanism.
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