Cancer, the Menace - Essay Example

Cancer, the Menace What is Caner? Cancer is a term used to refer to a of diseases or disorders with distinct characteristics not encountered inother illnesses. The development of abnormal cells that divide and spread throughout the human body, without any control, characterizes cancer. They infiltrate and destroy normal cells in the process. Cancer cells may spread to any part of the body. They either invade adjacent tissue or implant themselves into distant locations in a process called metastasis in which the cancer cells transport themselves through the blood or the lymphatic system. Cancer may affect people of all ages, but the chances of occurrence increases with age. Though it is found to affect people all over the world, it is identified as one of the major causes of death in developed countries. Cells do divide and proliferate in most tissues, but the body exercises strict control over the proliferation and death of cells, in order to maintain a balance. The mutations in cell DNA sometimes disrupt this control, leading to cancer. The result is usually a tumor, which may be benign or malignant. Benign ones neither spread to other tissues nor invade others, and is not life threatening except in some cases where their presence compresses critical organs etc. Malignant tumors are life threatening since they invade and spread to other tissues. Cancer can be of many types and are usually identified by the location of the most severe manifestation of the disease. The site of occurrence, character of malignancy, and evidence of metastasis etc determine the severity. Examination of the affected tissue by a pathologist is essential to arrive at a definite diagnosis. Surgery or biopsy is needed to extract tissue. Once identified, there are specific treatments for cancer depending on location, severity and other factors. Common forms of treatment are surgical removal, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Many cancers can be cured by proper and timely treatment. Untreated cancers may eventually result in death. Causes of Cancer: It is commonly believed that cancer strikes for no apparent reason. Such a belief has grown since medical science has so far not been able to identify a direct, one-to-one reason for the occurrence of cancer. However, despite being unable to identify every cause, it has been possible to identify many of the factors that cause cancer. The causative factors are either intrinsic, such as heredity, diet or hormones or extrinsic, such as chemicals, radiation, viruses or bacteria. The common perception that smoking causes cancer arises from this extrinsic cause since smoking is associated with several chemicals. Cigarette smoke contains over a score of chemicals capable of causing cancer. Smoking and other forms of tobacco use are identified with cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney and bladder apart from lung cancer, making it the most commonly identified cause of death among cancer patients. Specific kinds of cancer are more prevalent in some countries and geographical regions than in others. It is explained as being caused by exposure to a variety of factors, lifestyles and behaviors in different parts of the world. Examples of such regional differences are the high incidence of skin cancer in Australia, colon cancer in the USA and stomach cancer in Japan. Understanding the causes of cancer requires an understanding of the way DNA and cells work. DNA contains the instructions that determine how cells should grow and divide. Damage or mutations do take place in DNA, but normal cells usually repair these damages, or die if they cannot. When neither happens, they grow and become cancerous, living beyond their normal life span, and accumulate in selected locations in the human body. Development of cancer requires more than mere initial mutations of the DNA. Several other changes are identified with the growth of cancerous cells. They are: 1. The presence of an initiator that causes mutation. Initiators can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Examples are hormones, viruses, chronic inflammation, ultraviolet radiation, or carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals). 2. The presence of a promoter that causes cells to divide rapidly, leading to the formation of tumors. Promoters can be hereditary, from within the body or external. 3. The presence of a progressor that makes the cancerous cells aggressive. They too may be inherited or acquired from external environmental sources. Thus individual, internal bodily forces, genetic makeup, personal lifestyles and the external environment can all play a part in initiating and sustaining cancer. Hereditary genetic mutations may, accelerate the process of initiating cancer in combination with external factors or once mutations set the stage for cancer, external factors may play a more active role in the progress of cancer. An example is the increased likelihood of smokers working with asbestos developing cancer compared to smokers who do not work with asbestos. Both smoking and asbestos are identified with carcinogens involved in the development of cancer. How Does Cancer Develop and spread to other parts of the body? Malignant tumors contain cells that are able to invade nearby cells and organs. Some of them may also separate themselves from the parent tumor and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system and lodge themselves in other organs and locations far removed from the original site, where they continue their growth and multiplication. When such metastasis does take place, the cancer is still referred to the original tumor site. Cervical cancer that has spread to the lungs as a result of metastasis is still called cervical cancer and not lung cancer. Some cancers like leukemia which affects the blood, course throughout the body and first affect the organs that form blood and then their nearby tissues. Some other facts about the causes of cancer are: There are more than 100 different diseases within the group classified as cancers. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer for both men and women. In men, the most common cancer is that of the prostrate, while breast cancer is the most common one among women. Cancer is not contagious. Lung cancer causes the most number of deaths among both men and women in the USA Most cancers have risk factors identified with them. (http://www.medicinenet.com/cancer_causes/page2.htm) The treatment of cancer Many forms of cancer can be successfully treated, while some others like leukemia even stop or go into remission for inexplicable reasons. Several methods are used for treating cancers depending on the location of the tumor and the severity. They include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy. Though every type of treatment involves a certain amount of risk or pain, but left untreated, they will in almost all cases result in fatal consequences affecting vital organs and processes. Surgery can cure cancer if it can be removed completely, which however is not possible always and particularly so if metastasis has taken place. The tumor or the whole organ may be removed, but even a single cancer cell left behind can later grow into a new tumor. Mastectomy refers to removal of the breast in treating breast cancer and prostatectomy to the surgical treatment of prostrate cancer. Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs or combinations of drugs to target fast growing cells, a distinct characteristic of cancerous cells. However, they also affect normal bodily processes like hair growth and the natural process of regenerating intestinal linings in digestion which also have similar characteristics, but are normal ones. Chemotherapy may also be toxic to other healthy tissues in some cases. Radiation treatment uses bursts of radiation to burn away or shrinks malignant cells, making it impossible for them to grow and multiply. Normal cells may also be damaged in the process, but they usually recover and function normally. Monoclonal antibody therapy makes use of immune mechanisms by using monoclonal antibodies that target proteins characteristic of the particular cancer. Immunotherapy attempts to generate non-specific immune response against tumours using thye latest agents like interferon and interleukin Preventing Cancer Almost a third of cancer cases can be prevented and is the most effective cancer control method in terms of cost and effectiveness. Avoiding the use of tobacco in any form is can reduce a significant number of fatalities due to lung, oral, larynx, esophagus and stomach cancers. Dietary control can also offer control on cancer by avoiding overweight and obesity. Increase intake of fruits and vegetables and reduction in that of red meat helps reduce the risk of cancer. Avoiding exposure to other external factors such as asbestos, and other carcinogens will also help prevent cancer. Works Cited http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer/CA00003 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/cancer http://cancer.about.com/od/newlydiagnosed/a/whatcancer.htm http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cancer.htm http://www.who.int/cancer/prevention/en/ http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Aboutcancer/Whatiscancer/Whatiscancer Read More