Facts about Cancer

Facts about Cancer

· Cancer is a disease where cells multiply without control and destroy healthy tissue.

· Cancer can endanger life and is the leading cause of death in many countries.

· About 100 kinds of cancer affect human beings. With other kinds affecting plants and animals.

· Cancer strikes people of all ages.

· It occurs in both Male and Female.

· Cancer can start anywhere in the body and spread.

· The most common parts where cancer occurs are the skin, the digestive organs, the lungs, the cervix (neck of the womb) and the female breasts.

· Things that incite cancer are the tar in tobacco, and some of the other chemicals in cigarettes, and certain kinds of radiation.

· Today about half the cancer patients survive at least five years after treatment.

· Cancer develops as a result of abnormal cell reproduction.

· The genes in cancer cells don’t respond to the growth regulating signals and as a result the cells just keep multiplying and eventually after a mass of cells join together a tumor or neoplasm appear.

· Some tumors are noncancerous or benign.

· Benign tumors do not spread to healthy tissue or other body parts.

· Cancer produces malignant tumors, which invade, compress and eventually destroy healthy tissue.

· A huge danger is that cells can break away from the malignant tumor and move to other parts of the body and form other tumors.

· This process is called metastasis.

· The ability to spread to other parts of the body makes cancer hard to treat unless it is detected early.

· Cancer is classified in two ways (1): by a cancers primary body site (the part where it first develops) and (2): by the type of body tissue it originates in.

SKIN CANCER:

· The most common form of cancer in the world.

· Most skin cancers don’t spread which makes them easy to treat.

· A malignant melanoma (a rare form of skin cancer), which is more serious, starts in the pigment of the skin cells and rapidly spreads to other parts of the body.

· Over exposure to the suns ultraviolet rays causes malignant melanomas.

LUNG CANCER:

· Lung Cancer is strongly linked with smoking.

· Smokers are much more likely to develop cancer.

· The single greatest cause of death among men and women in most industrial countries.

STOMACH CANCER:

· Stomach cancer ...

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... they still cause some amount of damage to the cells. The drugs also produce some side effects such as loss of hair nausea and increased risk of getting sick.

· The most effective form of anticancer is one, which involves a combination of drugs.

· The large combination of drugs helps reduce the chance that the cancer will develop a resistance to the drug. Also ensures that you don’t get to many large doses of a drug.

CANCER RESEARCH:

· Cancer research is investigating in a wide range of areas. Two fields that scientist’s have made rapid progress in is, cell biology and immunology.

Cancer

Reducing The Risk.

The European community released the following set of guidelines, which can help reduce the risk of cancer.

1. Take up regular exercise.

2. Cut down on fatty foods such as butter and other dairy products.

3. Protect yourself from ultra-violet rays.

4. Do not smoke.

5. Cut down on alcohol consumption.

6. Cervical smear tests for women every 3-5 years.

7. Breast examination for signs of lumps, dimples, or puckering.

8. Eat healthy foods such as fruit, lean meat, and vegetables. Eat lots of food containing fibre.