What is Cancer?
The cancer begins in cells that are the building blocks of our body. Normally, our body forms new cells as you the need to replace old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong. New cells grow even when it is not necessary, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass called tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not malignant cancer, But The cells of malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break out and spread to other parts of the body.
Most cancers are named for where it start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung and breast cancer starts in the breast.
The spread of cancer from one part of the body another is called metastasis Half of all men and one third of all women in the U.S. develop cancer during their lives. Today, millions of people living with cancer or have had cancer.
The risk development of most types of cancer can be reduced by:
Surgery:
Surgery is a treatment for cancer which removes all or part of the cancer. The majority of people diagnosed with cancer will undergo surgery at some time during their care. Surgery may be used for several purposes, such as diagnosing and staging cancer, treating cancer or relieving symptoms or side effects when, for example, a tumour is pressing on a nerve or bone. Surgery may be the only cancer treatment a patient requires, or it may be supplemented with other treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy:
Sometimes called systemic therapy, means treatment of cancer with drugs.
Chemotherapy drugs work on cells that are growing quickly. Both cancer cells and some normal cells grow quickly. When the chemotherapy affects normal cells, it can cause temporary side effects. These can be managed.
Chemotherapy is given alone or with other drugs. Chemotherapy may also be used at the same time, before, or after other cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy or hormone therapy.
Chemotherapy can be given in many different ways. Usually, drugs are injected into a vein (intravenous). For some types of cancer, the doctor may order pills taken by mouth. Chemotherapy drugs can also be injected into a muscle (intramuscular), under the skin (subcutaneous), into an artery (intra-arterial) or into the abdomen (intra-peritoneal).
External beam radiation therapy - Radiation is delivered from a treatment machine outside the body and directed at the cancer site. Treatment is usually given five days a week for several weeks.
Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) involves placing radiation sources as close as possible to the tumour site. They are usually left there for 1 to 6 days.
Other Treatments:Other types of therapy include hormone therapy, where hormones are given as drugs to treat some kinds of cancer (breast and prostate cancer) and immunotherapy, which make use of the body's immune system to fight cancer. New therapies are being studied on an ongoing basis in clinical trials.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer
http://www.answers.com/topic/cancer
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.lungcancerguidebook.org/lcguidebook_aug05/ch2_0605.pdf&pli=1
The cancer begins in cells that are the building blocks of our body. Normally, our body forms new cells as you the need to replace old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong. New cells grow even when it is not necessary, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass called tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not malignant cancer, But The cells of malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break out and spread to other parts of the body.
Most cancers are named for where it start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung and breast cancer starts in the breast.
The spread of cancer from one part of the body another is called metastasis Half of all men and one third of all women in the U.S. develop cancer during their lives. Today, millions of people living with cancer or have had cancer.
The risk development of most types of cancer can be reduced by:
- Eat better, low fat food.
- Be More Active.
- Protect yourself from the sun.
- Do not smoke.
- Tell your doctor if your health changes.
- Screen for Cancer
- Handle with care hazardous materials
- Breast Cancer.
- Cervical Cancer.
- Childhood Cancer.
- Colorectal Cancer.
- Lung cancer.
- Prostate Cancer.
- Skin Cancer.
Surgery:
Surgery is a treatment for cancer which removes all or part of the cancer. The majority of people diagnosed with cancer will undergo surgery at some time during their care. Surgery may be used for several purposes, such as diagnosing and staging cancer, treating cancer or relieving symptoms or side effects when, for example, a tumour is pressing on a nerve or bone. Surgery may be the only cancer treatment a patient requires, or it may be supplemented with other treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy:
Sometimes called systemic therapy, means treatment of cancer with drugs.
Chemotherapy drugs work on cells that are growing quickly. Both cancer cells and some normal cells grow quickly. When the chemotherapy affects normal cells, it can cause temporary side effects. These can be managed.
Chemotherapy is given alone or with other drugs. Chemotherapy may also be used at the same time, before, or after other cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy or hormone therapy.
Chemotherapy can be given in many different ways. Usually, drugs are injected into a vein (intravenous). For some types of cancer, the doctor may order pills taken by mouth. Chemotherapy drugs can also be injected into a muscle (intramuscular), under the skin (subcutaneous), into an artery (intra-arterial) or into the abdomen (intra-peritoneal).
Radiation Therapy:
Radiation therapy is the use of radiation to damage or destroy cancer cells. Radiation in high doses kills cancer cells or keeps them from growing and producing more cancer cells by disrupting the way they grow and divide. Normal cells can be affected by radiation therapy, but most normal cells are able to repair themselves and recover from the effects of radiation. Cancer cells are less able to repair themselves after radiation damage. Radiation therapy may be used alone or with other cancer treatments. Radiation may be used to cure or control cancer or to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life (palliative radiotherapy).
There are two main ways of giving radiation therapy: External beam radiation therapy - Radiation is delivered from a treatment machine outside the body and directed at the cancer site. Treatment is usually given five days a week for several weeks.
Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) involves placing radiation sources as close as possible to the tumour site. They are usually left there for 1 to 6 days.
Other Treatments:Other types of therapy include hormone therapy, where hormones are given as drugs to treat some kinds of cancer (breast and prostate cancer) and immunotherapy, which make use of the body's immune system to fight cancer. New therapies are being studied on an ongoing basis in clinical trials.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer
http://www.answers.com/topic/cancer
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.lungcancerguidebook.org/lcguidebook_aug05/ch2_0605.pdf&pli=1
