Causes and Effects of Cancer - Essay Example

?Causes and effects of cancer Cancer is a disease brought about by abnormal and out of control growth of cells, each type of cancer is ified by the cell that is affected first and there are over a hundred different types of cancers that have been identified. Cancer becomes harmful to the body when the damaged cells undergo uncontrollable division and form lumps called tumors, if the tumors continue to grow they can interfere with the circulatory, digestive and nervous systems and release hormones that may alter the bodily functions as well. Cancer is the biggest killer disease of this age with its treatment being very expensive and the side effects just as bad, it has been said that the lifestyle one leads can mean the difference between living cancer free or acquiring it. This begs the question; to what extent is cancer prevention the individual’s responsibility? Cancer is characterized by tumors but in the case of leukemia, abnormal cell division in the blood stream prohibits the normal blood function, benign tumors are tumors that are limited in growth and stay in one location but the malignant tumors are the most dangerous, they are formed when a cell that is cancerous, through a process called invasion, moves uses blood or the lymph system to move through the body while destroying healthy tissue. The cancerous cell then divides and grows, it makes new blood vessels that it uses to feed itself, and this process is called angiogenesis. After a while, the tumor might manage to spread to other body parts and grow, a process known as metastasis, the condition that results afterwards is very difficult to treat. Scientists from Massachusetts have reported that a clue as to why cancer cells spread has been discovered, they explained that these cells become dislodged, move through the body and finally attach themselves at another site, this is because the extracellular matrix that holds the cells in place cause them to get unstuck therefore they are no longer held in place at their original tumor site. The discovery is very crucial because most cancer deaths are due to metastatic tumors while only ten percent is as a result of primary tumors, if a way was found to stop these cells from attaching to new sites, then the growth of secondary tumors could be stopped. Many people would like to understand what really causes cancer; it is as a result of cells that undergo uncontrollable growth, normally, cells have a growth path, followed by division then death (Sherbet 2011, p.52). This death is programmed, thus when a cell is cancerous it does not have this programmatic death but instead it continues to grow and divide leading to an out of control growth of mass of abnormal cells. An uncontrolled growth in cells can be as a result of damage or mutation to the DNA which therefore ends up damaging the genes involved in cell division, if a cell gene’s mutation is unable to make the cell correct the damage done to the DNA or otherwise commit suicide or if oncogenes and tumor suppressor gene function are inhibited, the result is cancer. Damage of the DNA can be as a direct result of substances known as carcinogens which can be easily found in asbestos, arsenic, gamma and x-rays, tobacco, the sun and compounds found in the fumes of a car exhaust, they form free radicals in the body of an individual that has been exposed to them which steal electrons from other molecules in the body thereby damaging the cells and the ability to function as should (Castro 2001, p.3). In some cases, cancer can be as a result of an individual’s genetic predisposition, this means that one is born with a faulty gene or certain genetic mutations that make one more likely to develop cancer at some point in their life. Age is also an important factor to consider in the possibility of developing cancer and it is the reason as to why most cancer cases are the elderly. Certain viruses as well that are known to suppress the immune system thereby weakening the body’s ability to fight infections have been linked to cancer, for example, the human papilloma virus, which is responsible for cervical cancer, HIV, hepatitis B and C and the Epstein-Barr virus which is known to cause some childhood cancers (Robertson 2012, p.463). All the different form of cancers do not have the same type of symptoms, it all depends on where the cancer is located, the areas it has spread to and how big the tumor in question is, some can be characterized by a lump on the breast or the testicle and others can be seen or felt on the skin. Melanoma, which is the skin cancer, is detected by a change in a mole on the skin while the oral cancers are characterized by white patches inside the mouth or white spots on the tongue of the patient, other forms of cancers do not have physical symptoms, in the case of brain tumors; the symptoms are visible in the very early stages due to its sensitive nature because it affects the cognitive functions. In other cases, the symptoms manifest when it is nearly too late, pancreas cancer is small and hardly ever causes symptoms but a pain can be felt when the tumor pushes against the nerves nearby or interferes with the liver function causing jaundice which causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow. At times the symptoms can be as a result of the tumor growing and pushing against the body organs and blood vessels, a good example is colon cancer; changes in stool size, constipation and diarrhea are some of its symptoms (Adrouny 2002, p.31). The bladder and prostate cancers usually result in changes in bladder functions such as infrequent urination or more frequent urination, in addition to the specialized symptoms, there are other general symptoms such as fever, anemia, fatigue, weight loss and excessive sweating, these are caused by cancer cells because they interfere with the normal function of the hormones and use body’s energy. Additional symptoms may also be present in the newly affected areas if the cancer spreads, for example, coughing and shortness of breath if cancer spreads to the lungs (Crosta,2013). Cancer can be classified in five groups; carcinomas, these cancers are characterized by cells that cover both the internal and external parts of the body, for example, colon and breast cancer, the sarcomas are present in areas such as the bone, muscle, cartilage, connective tissue and fat. The lymphomas are cancers that begin in the immune system and the lymph nodes, the leukemias begin in the bone marrow and manifest in the bloodstream, the adenomas start in the adrenal, thyroid, pituitary among other glands (Silverstein 2006, p.19). Cancer that is detected early increases the chances of survival and successful treatment, doctors use a combination of symptoms and other procedures such as imaging with use of X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans, MRI and PET scans to be able to detect where the tumor is located and also check the organs that might be affected. Other methods such as endoscopy which involves inserting a thin tube with a camera and light, inside the body to look for abnormalities or biopsy, a method used to extract cancer cells and looking at them under a microscope, can be used to detect cancer. The doctor can analyze the body’s sugars, proteins, fat and DNA to check for higher than normal release that is specific to cancer cells. After the doctor has made the diagnosis, he determines the stage of the cancer and how far it has spread, this influences the choices that will be made for treatment, the TNM system is usually used, T 1-4 indicates the size and extent of the tumor, N 0-3 indicates the degree to which it has spread to the nearby lymph nodes and M0-1 indicates whether it has metastasized to other body organs. The lower numbers show that the cancer has spread less while tumors that are in stage 1 are curable and those in stage 4 are incurable and unoperatable (Andrew and Ernest 2009, p.12). The prevention of cancer is purely linked to the behavior of an individual, smoking tobacco and taking alcohol increases the risk of developing certain cancers such as throat, lung, liver and mouth cancer (Graham, Hunter 2000, p.19). Staying out of the sun, using sunscreen and wearing a hat and a shirt while in the sun are methods that can be used to prevent skin cancer. It has also been recommended that people watch what they eat since diet has been linked to cancer (Pories, Moses , Lotz 2009, p.6), by avoiding fatty foods and consuming more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, cancer risks can be reduced. There are available vaccinations that have been known to reduce the chances of cancer, such as the vaccination used to prevent the human papilloma virus in women that is associated with cervical cancer and hepatitis B vaccination that prevent the hepatitis B virus which can cause liver cancer. Systematic screening to detect irregularities early are also encouraged, breast and testicular self-examination, mammograms and Pap smears are some of the screening methods, being physically active, controlling cholesterol, managing blood pressure are also ways of preventing cancer (Eldridge, Eldridge, Borgeson 2006, p.26). In conclusion, an individual can prevent cancer by adopting certain lifestyle changes, eating healthy, exercising, avoiding the sun for long hours and visiting the hospital for regular screening, to a large extent, a person is responsible for being cancer free except in cases where it is genetic. References Adrouny, A. R. 2002. Understanding Colon Cancer. Mississippi: Univ. Press of Mississippi. Andrew, Rosenbaum, Ernest, Dollinger, Malin. 2009. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy: How Cancer Is Diagnosed, Treated, and Managed Day to Day. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing. Castro, J. B. D. 2001. Cancer: Cause, Care & Cure. B. New Delhi: Jain Publishers. Crosta, P. 2013. Oncology. Medical News Today. [Online] Available at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/cancer-oncology/ [Accessed 22 July 2013] Eldridge, L, Eldridge, L. S, Borgeson, D. 2006. Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time: Practical Advice for Preventing Cancer. Avoiding Cancer Now. Graham A. Colditz, G. A, Hunter, D. J. 2000. Cancer Prevention: The Causes and Prevention of Cancer. New York City: Springer. Pories, S. E, Moses, M. A, Lotz, M. M. 2009. Cancer. California: ABC-CLIO. Robertson, E. S. 2012. Cancer Associated Viruses. New York City: Springer. Sherbet, G. V. 2011. Growth Factors and Their Receptors in Cell Differentiation, Cancer and Cancer Therapy. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Silverstein, A. Silverstein, V. A. Nunn, S. L. 2006. Cancer. Minnesota: Twenty-First Century Books. Read More