Cancer

CANCER

All living things are made up of cells. They are the smallest things that are capable of basic life-they take in nutrients when needed, they put out waste and they reproduce. Cells divide (reproduce) at least once during their life, sometimes dozens of times. Organisms rely on this, this is how they grow or repair themselves when they are damaged. A normal body has around 30 trillion cells.

Permanent gene mutations are what cause cells to malfunction. When this happens several times to the same cell it can become cancerous. This can take many years in some cases. A cancerous cell reproduces at different rates, but eventually they overcrowd the normal cells and turn into a tumor.

There are two types of tumors, benign and malignant. A benign tumor does not spread to other parts of the body, it stays in one place. Benign tumors are not dangerous and do not need to be removed, but if you would like to have it removed for appearance purposes or if it is uncomfortable it can be surgically removed very easily. A malignant tumor is a tumor that can spread to other parts of the body which makes them very dangerous.

There are many different kinds of cancer and they all react differently to different types of treatments. Cancer cells can break away from a tumor and spread to other parts of the body. They usually spread through the blood or lymph systems. When this happens it is called metastasis. It doesn't matter where the cancer spreads to; it is still named after the part of the body where it started. For example if the cancer started in the breast and then spread to the lymphatic system it is defined as metastastic breast cancer. A recurrence is when the cancer returns after someone has had treatments and appeared to be cancer free.

Cancer can take years to develop so it is usually a few things that contribute to it. Scientists are not exactly sure what causes cancer but there have been studies that show that some people are more prone than others to develop it. One million people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every year. In the United States 163 out of every 100,000 men develop cancer, and 110 out of every 100,000 women develop it.1 People of all ages develop cancer but it is more common in people 50 years old or older. Although we are not quite sure what causes cancer studies have shown that not smoking, eating healthy, and exercising for 30 minutes every day can lower the risk by sixty percent. Just doing that could save your life.

There are also things like bad eating habits that account for thirty percent of cancer deaths in the USA. Eating a lot of red meats or a lot of salt, or saturated fat can be very dangerous. People with obesity have a much higher risk of developing cancer among other things. Having more than two alcoholic drinks a day can also increase the risk.

But one of the biggest contributors is tobacco. People that smoke cigars, cigarettes, or chew increase their risk. If a non smoker lived with a smoker the non smoker's chances would increase by thirty percent. Second hand smoke is very dangerous. Starting to smoke when young also increases the chance. Cancer caused by tobacco can appear in different places in the body, it can appear in the lungs, esophagus, respiratory tract, bladder and pancreas. Eating healthy and exercising are very important, they are a big part of preventing cancer.

Heredity also plays a role. Some gene mutations are inherited. There are tests to determine whether or not a person has these. If any mutated genes are found extra measures are taken to prevent cancer. Radiation has been linked to cancer, especially skin cancer.

People with early warning signs should contact their physician immediately. The physician will check the patient's medical history and then decide what examinations will be needed. They may choose to perform a biopsy in which a sample of the infected skin is sent to a lab to be analyzed.

We still have a lot to learn about cancer, but we have already come a long way. Today sixty percent of people that get diagnosed live ay least five years; 50 years ago there was hardly any chance for survival at all, because we knew nothing about the disease. The NCI (National Cancer Institute) estimates that 8 million people are living with cancer or have been cured and are living at this time.2 All of this is because more and more of us are going and getting tests done, even without any signs of cancer. So cancer is being detected early, and the earlier the cancer is detected the better the chance of survival. It would be smart to go and talk to your doctor and see how often and for what you should be tested for. A lot of the time there are not any symptoms until it is too late. So it is so important to be checked on a regular basis.