Cancer

Cancer is unpredictable and deadly. It can invade your body anytime and you wouldn’t even know about its existence. Cancer does not discriminate between rich and poor, young and old, man or woman. Cancer can strike one and all, putting tremendous physical, emotional and monetary pressure on the patients and their families. Cancer has acquired epidemic proportions and it is estimated that by the year 2015, around 9 million people will die from Cancer.

So what exactly makes Cancer such a deadly disease? The answer lies in the manner in which this disease spreads within the body. Fighting Cancer involves fighting with the cellular structure of the body and the task can be huge and often futile and unsuccessful.

Cancer begins in the cells, which are the building blocks of your body. Normally, the body develops new cells as and when needed, replacing the older cells in the process. But sometimes, for reasons still largely unknown to us, the process goes wrong. New cells grow at their own pace but the older ones do not die at the same time. These extra cells can form a mass called a tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. The malignant tumors are cancerous. Cells from malignant tumors can spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue or by transportation through the bloodstream or lymphatic system.

Common Types of Cancer

• Bladder Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Colon and Rectal Cancer
• Endometrial Cancer
• Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
• Leukemia
• Lung Cancer
• Melanoma
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma)
• Thyroid Cancer

Cancer is surely a very unpredictable disease but there are certain symptoms which can be associated to the presence of Cancer in the body. Look out for the following symptoms:

• Persistent Fatigue
  
  Fatigue and tiredness, which lingers for many days, is one of the most commonly experienced cancer symptoms. It is usually more common when the cancer is advanced, but still occurs in the early stages.
• Unintentional Weight loss
  
  Losing 10 or more pounds without dieting or any other efforts of losing weight can be one of the first symptoms experienced with cancer.
• Fever
  
  Persistent fever is another symptom of cancer. Fever is often caused by the lowered immunity due to the presence of cancer.
• Changes to the Skin
  
  Skin changes such as darkening of the skin, abnormal hair growth, reddening, and skin itchiness can indicate certain types of cancers.
• Pain
  
  Pain is normally present when the cancer has progressed to an advanced stage. Pain is also indicative of early stages of bone cancers.
• Unusual lump or swelling
• Poor appetite that lasts for days
• Anemia

Although Cancer strikes fear at everyone’s hearts by its very name, there is still hope for treatment of this disease. Almost 40% of all Cancer types can be cured if detected in the early stages. Thanks to advanced researches in the field of Oncology, today there are several effective treatments for Cancer. Some of the common treatments are as follows:

• Surgery
• Radiation
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Stem cell transplant

Once Cancer attacks the body, it becomes difficult to resist it. But you can adopt certain preventive measures. Following are the ways by which Cancer can be prevented to a certain extent:

• Control your body weight within normal limits
• Avoid smoking and chewing tobacco
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid over-exposure to the ultra-violet rays of the sun
• Go in for regular medical check-ups

Cancer is deadly. But don’t be panicked by it. Fight the disease. Increase your awareness about it. And remember to give all the love and care you can to the person who has this disease. Your love can make a big difference.