Your body is made up of many different types of cells. Under normal conditions, cells grow, divide, become old, and die. Then, in most cases, they’re replaced by new cells. But sometimes cells mutate grow out of control, and form a mass, or tumor, instead of dying.
Tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Cancerous tumors can attack and kill your body’s tissues. They can also spread to other parts of the body, causing new tumors to form there. This process is called metastasis and it represents cancer that has advanced to a late stage.
Two types of factors contribute to the cause of cancer. One is a tendency or predisposition to develop cancer. The other is exposure to the triggers that start it off. Examples are cigarettes, environmental toxins, sun exposure, or liver damage.
Cancer uncontrolled growth of cells caused by mutations can be inherited, as they are in about 5-10 percent of all cancer cases, but it’s much more likely that these gene changes occur during a person’s lifetime due to other factors besides genetics.
When someone has a known family history of hereditary cancer, genetic testing is often recommended.
Staging is a way of describing the size of a cancer and how far it has grown. When doctors first diagnose a cancer, they carry out tests to: check how big the cancer is. whether it has spread into surrounding tissues. whether it has spread to other parts of the body.
According to organ stage is allocated and treatment planing with intent is decided
Yes. Cigarettes cause the vast majority of cancers of the lung. They are a major factor in cancers of the bladder, pancreas, mouth, larynx, oesophagus, and kidney.
Cancer is a complicated disease. You can have cancer for years without developing symptoms. Other times, cancer may cause noticeable symptoms that get worse very quickly. Many cancer symptoms resemble other, less serious illnesses. Having certain symptoms doesn’t mean you have cancer. In general, you should talk to a healthcare provider anytime there’s a change in your body that lasts for more than two weeks.
Some common early cancer symptoms include:
Unexplained weight loss.
Chronic tiredness.
Persistent pain.
Fever that occurs mostly at night.
Skin changes, particularly moles that change shape and size or new moles.
Left untreated, cancer may cause additional symptoms, including:
Bruising or bleeding more easily.
Lumps or bumps under your skin that don’t go away.
Difficulty breathing.
Difficulty swallowing.
The types of treatment that you receive will depend on the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is. Some people with cancer will have only one treatment. But most people have a combination of treatments, such as surgery with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
The most common treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Newer and advanced treatments include targeted therapy, immunotherapy, laser, hormonal therapy, and others
Yes. When cancer treatment appears to be working, your doctor might say the cancer is in remission. A partial remission occurs when the cancer shrinks but doesn’t disappear. A complete remission means there is no longer any sign of cancer.
The longer a cancer is in complete remission, the less likely it is to come back, and at some point your doctor might say the cancer has been cured.
You can get a second opinion in many ways:
Your primary doctor may be able to recommend a specialist, such as a surgeon, medical oncologist, or radiation oncologist. Sometimes these doctors work together at cancer centers or programs.
Medical oncology is a type of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer. A medical oncologist’s job is to take care of cancer patients by using things like chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.
Hematologists specialize in diagnosing and treating blood diseases. Oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cancers. A hematologist oncologist specializes in both. You might see a hematologist oncologist if you have blood cancer or suspected blood cancer.
