Intrduction to Cancer, How does Cancer Spread, Types and Causes of Cancer

Intrduction to Cancer, How does Cancer Spread, Types and Causes of Cancer

How Does Cancer Spread?`

The cells of malignant nodule have the capacity to attack the adjacent tissues and organs. The cancerous cell may also affect some other organs in case it breaks away from the growth. The broken cancerous link will travel with the bloodstream and target some other organ. The process of spread of cancer is called metastasis. The cancer which has floated to others parts of the body will be always referred to the origin or the part from where it sprung. Like cervical cancer has a capacity to affect lungs and in case it did then the cancer in lungs will not be called lungs cancer. It will be always proclaimed as cervical cancer. The cancer only affects those organs that produce blood and the neighboring tissues.

Types of Cancer

As we have briefed earlier that there are more than 100 types of cancer while each is different from the rest in symptoms, causes and treatment. Here we have given you a broader category of grouping various types of cancer. Cancer types can be grouped into broader categories. Mainly they include:

• Carcinoma: It is the cancer that triggers in the skin or in those tissues that cover or line organs.
  
• Sarcoma: Bone, fat, cartilage, blood vessels, muscle, or other connective or/and supportive tissues are the origin of this type of cancer.
• Leukemia: The cancer of the blood is called leukemia. It exists in those tissues that produce blood cells like bone marrow. A disorder in the bone marrows gives off abnormal white blood cells that refrain from dying when unnecessary. The number of older cells blocks or disturbs the passage of the blood. They cancerous cells often travel with the blood.
• Lymphoma and Myeloma: It is the cancers that starts in the cells of immune system. Immune system is the body’s natural defense system that helps in fighting with viruses, infections and all types of diseases.
• Central nervous system cancers: It is that type of cancer which starts its passage in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

Before going into details have a look at the number of estimated death caused by cancer in United Sates:

Cancer Type	Estimated New Cases	Estimated Deaths
Bladder	70,980	14,330
Breast (Female - Male)	192,370 - 1,910	40,170 - 440
Colon and Rectal (Combined)	146,970	49,920
Endometrial	42,160	7,780
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer	49,096	11,033
Leukemia (All)	44,790	21,870
Lung (Including Bronchus)	219,440	159,390
Melanoma	68,720	8,650
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma	65,980	19,500
Pancreatic	42,470	35,240
Prostate	192,280	27,360
Skin (Nonmelanoma)	>1,000,000	<1,000
Thyroid	37,200	1,630

Causes of Cancer

There are many types of cancer and so does the symptoms of each of them. Fatigue, weight loss and fever are commonly observed in those cancer patients who have reached an advance stage.

• The by products of normal metabolism are oxidants that cause aging. Radiations produce mutagens, like hydrogen per oxide and superoxide, are responsible for damaging DNA. Although the DNA repair enzymes constantly repair the damages caused by the oxidants but they do not keep up. With increasing age the number of oxidants increase and there affect on DNA multiplies which result in high rate of cancer and less span of time.
• Cancer, brain dysfunction, cardiovascular disease and cataracts are degenerative diseases of aging and involve oxidative origin. It is evaluated that the intake of antioxidants like carotenoids, Vitamin E and Vitamin C can play an important role in minimizing the damage but unfortunately the global intake of these antioxidants is inadequate. It is advised that humans must take at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruits per day. In United States only 9 per cent of the total population takes the required amount of antioxidants. Epidemiological studies have shown that most types of cancers are found in those people who eat less than five portions of vegetables and fruits per day. Cancer is usually observed in people who are more than 40 years old so it also an aging phenomenon.
• Those men who do not consume proper amount of Vitamin C have low level of Vitamin C in their seminal fluid and the DNA in their sperms is damaged by excessive oxidative. Cigarette smoke has high level of oxidants. Male smokers are more vulnerable to develop cancers due to depleted pools of antioxidants. To maintain an equal amount of plasma, smokers must eat three times as much vitamin as a non-smoker eats although facts reveal that smokers eat pathetically. However, male smokers are at risk to have children with by birth disorders and childhood cancer.
• Smoking, imbalance diet (excessive calories and excessive fat, insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables, calcium and fiber), smoking and chronic infections that may lead to chronic swelling (viruses of hepatitis B and C, schistosomiasis, helicobacter pylori infection, etc.).
• Mutation increases the chances of developing cancer. Two factors are responsible for mutation: lesions in DNA produced as a result of damage to the DNA and cell division that transforms DNA lesions to mutations. All those factors that can increase either lesions or cell division results in increased mutation which boost up risk factor to get growths or cancer. Cell division is stimulated by the hormones. For example prostate cancer is result of levels of testosterone where breast cancer concludes due to increased estrogen in breast. In 20 per sent of cancer, hormones have been proved to be the risk factor.
• It would be shocking for a number of people to believe that the intake of chemicals result in cancer because they think they never use one. But the fact is that our food specially vegetables and plants are contaminated with chemicals that are used in fields to ward off the intruders like insects and birds. 99.9 per cent of the chemicals we eat are natural. Approximately, there are more than 10000 natural pesticides in our diet and there amount is quite higher than the amount of synthetic pesticides. Very few of us knew that cooking also gives off chemicals. More than 1000 chemicals are made with a cup of coffee. Our defense system helps in fighting with the chemicals. You must remember that synthetic chemicals are less dangerous than the natural ones. It is possible that the rate of natural chemicals in food is decreased but the process will ask for heavy investment while making the vegetables and fruits expensive to eat.
• It is also examined that cancer is more prompt to appear in those families who have a history of cancer. If any of your close relative like father, mother, sister or grandparents have it you will may be a victim of the monster.

There are a number of techniques that are used to operate the patient of different types of cancer. Surgery (radical nephrectomy, simple nephrectomy and partial nephrectomy can used to remove the cancerous organ or tumor as per requirement), arterial embolization (used to shrink the size of the tumor before surgery to make the operation easier), radiation therapy (high energy rays to kill the cancerous cells), biological therapy (uses substances that can travel through the blood to all parts of the body to target and affect the cancerous cell while making use of natural immune system) and chemotherapy (it makes use of anticancer drugs that are used by the patient to kill the cancer).

Cancer is curable if and only if it is diagnosed at an early stage. Those who are researching at the topic or suffering from the disease will agree that there are no hard and fast rules for the cancer. It may or may not appear in one person. The best way to deal with the disease is watching one’s self. We must be aware and conscious of any clot or swelling that appears in our body. Women are exclusively suggested to examine themselves at home and regularly at the gynecologist so the minute symptoms of cancer can be caught.