Cancer: What You Need To Know
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Symptoms
Signs and symptoms caused by cancer will vary depending on what part of the body is affected.Some general signs and symptoms associated with, but not specific to, cancer, include:
- Fatigue
- Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin
- Weight changes, including unintended loss or gain
- Skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, or changes to existing moles
- Changes in bowel or bladder habits
- Persistent cough or trouble breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hoarseness
- Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating
- Persistent, unexplained muscle or joint pain
- Persistent, unexplained fevers or night sweats
- Unexplained bleeding or bruising
Different types of cancer
- Leukemia:
this the cancer that originates in the bone marrow and causes large
numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the
blood -- list of cancer associated with "leukemia," includes; lymphoblastic leukemias, myelogenous leukemias, T-cell leukemia, and hairy-cell leukemia.
- Carcinoma: Carcinoma originates in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal
organs. list of cancer diseases that falls under Carcinoma includes; skin, lung, colon, pancreatic, ovarian cancers, epithelial, squamous and basal cell carcinomas, melanomas, papillomas, and adenomas.
- Sarcoma: Cancer that originates in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue includes bone, soft tissue cancers, osteosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, liposarcoma, angiosarcoma, rhabdosarcoma, and fibrosarcoma.
- Lymphoma and myeloma: Cancers that originates in the cells of the immune
system includes; lymphoma, T-cell lymphomas, B-cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphomas, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lymphoproliferative lymphomas
- Central nervous system cancers: Cancers that originates in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord includes; brain and spinal cord tumors, gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, vestibular schwannomas, primary CNS lymphomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors
- Metastatic cancers; this is a type cancer that after it has formed, migrates to another cell in which it did not originate, example includes; breast, lung, colon, prostate cancer with spread to the organ in which it has been found. Example is the following: A doctor describing a man whose prostate cancer has spread to his bones should say the man has metastatic prostate cancer to bone. This is not "bone cancer," which would be cancer that started in the bone cells. Metastatic prostate cancer to bone is treated differently than lung cancer to bone.
Causes of cancer
There are several causes of cancer of which includes;- Hereditary: Hereditary cancers are primarily caused by an inherited genetic defect. Less than 0.3% of the population are carriers of a genetic mutation that has a large effect on cancer risk and these cause less than 3–10% of cancer. Some of these syndromes include: certain inherited mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 with a more than 75% risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer,
- Environmental factors
- Physical Agents: Some substances cause cancer primarily through their physical, rather than chemical, effects. A prominent example of this is prolonged exposure to asbestos, naturally occurring mineral fibers that are a major cause of mesothelioma (cancer of the serous membrane) usually the serous membrane surrounding the lungs.
- Diet and obesity: Diet, physical inactivity and obesity are related to up to 30–35% of cancer deaths. In the United States, excess body weight is associated with the development of many types of cancer and is a factor in 14–20% of cancer deaths.
- Infections: Viruses are the usual infectious agents that cause cancer but cancer bacteria and parasites may also play a role.
- Radiation : Up to 10% of invasive cancers are related to radiation exposure, including both ionizing radiation and non-ionizing ultraviolet radiation.
- Chemicals: substance that can cause cancer are called carcinogens. Tobacco smoke, for example, causes 90% of lung cancer. It also causes cancer in the larynx, head, neck, stomach, bladder, kidney, esophagus and pancreas.
- lack of physical activity: Physical inactivity is believed to contribute to cancer risk, not only through its effect on body weight but also through negative effects on the immune system and endocrine system.
- Hormones: Some hormones play a role in the development of cancer by promoting cell proliferation. Insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins play a key role in cancer cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, suggesting possible involvement in carcinogenesis.
Prevention
- Eat a healthy food. the food we eat plays important role in our body. avoiding junk food and food rich in trans fatty acid and taking more of vegetable and whole grain foods my help prevent cancer development.
- Stop smoking. avoid smoking. tobacco contains many carcinogenic compounds that continuous intake may result to lungs cancer and other forms of cancer
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese may increase your risk of cancer. Work to achieve and maintain a healthy weight through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise.
- Schedule cancer screening exams. Talk to your doctor about what types of cancer screening exams are best for you based on your risk factors.
- Avoid excessive sun exposure. Harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can increase your risk of skin cancer. Limit your sun exposure by staying in the shade, wearing protective clothing or applying sunscreen.
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