Cancer is a dangerous disease and it can sometimes be life threatening and it would be too late to do anything medically. According to the type of cancer, it spreads to other parts of the body reducing the survival rate dramatically. A person who finds a tumor on any part of the body should see a physician immediately. The failure to have a physician to check out the tumor will lead to more problems that cannot be reversed later on. For something as deadly as a tumor, the time is clicking and the sooner you show the tumor to a physician, the more chances of survival. The main purpose is to not let the cancer in the body progress to the last stage. In the medical field, the doctors know more on how to treat earlier stages of cancer where they have a handful of options on how to remove the tumor. But in the last stages of cancer there is only a narrow chance of survival. Doctors would end up saying that you will have only two more months to live. That is why it is extremely important to have a physician to check out the tumor on any part of the body. Delaying treatment would allow the cancer to spread throughout the body and the organs and doctors will not be able to do almost anything, thus leaving the cancer incurable.
It is really important to know if
someone in your family has had breast cancer. The reason why is because cancer is a mutation that happens in a cell that causes it to divide without stop. Since cancer is a type of mutation, it can be inherited through the family. If a mother had breast cancer and later had kids, this would mean that the mutated or defected gene has the possibility to transfer into the kids from all the way when the mother started producing the baby. When the baby later grows into a woman, the defected gene may start producing problems and start breast cancer. So if you find out if someone in your family has had breast cancer, you can go to the doctors and get a mammogram done just to see if anything shows up and also as an act of awareness.
One of the major breakthroughs in cancer research is stem cells. Researchers have found out that some cancers are made up of stem cells. Cancer cells and stem cells share the same characteristics in that they are “immortal.” So further research on stem cells can help scientists to know more about cancer than what they know today. Researchers also think that the reason why cancer grows back after it has been treated or removed is because the treatments only target the bulk cells and they do not target the cancer stem cells. But if scientists find a way to destroy or remove these cancer stem cells along with the bulk cells, there will be a greater chance that the cancer cells will not grow back. Researchers have found out that a molecule called “5T4” enabled the stem cells to move around and this molecule has also been found in lots of different types of cancers. So by using this information, scientists can find ways to destroy/remove the “5T4” molecule in cancer stem cells to cease the spread of cancer.
Here are some preventative measures that you can practice to avoid certain cancers. Try to avoid smoking and being exposed to smoke, this can greatly reduce the risk of getting lung cancer. Try to avoid ultraviolet exposure from the sun by wearing proper sunscreen and by avoiding the sun at noon, this can greatly reduce your risk of skin cancer. Eat healthy food and try your best to stay in shape. Stay away from drinks like alcohol. Another way of preventing certain types of cancers is by being aware of your family history of cancer. So if a certain type of cancer runs through the family, you should let your doctor know so they can offer you screenings to see if you are at risk.
Cancer cells are abnormal cells that divide continuously without stop and they can attack other surrounding tissue. Benign tumors are abnormal cells that are self-contained, they grow fairly slow, and these abnormal cells increase in diameter. Benign tumors may stop growing for a while once it has reached a certain size. This type of tumor can be dangerous when the tumor compresses the tissues in the surroundings. Malignant tumors are cancer cells that are not self-contained, they are capable of rapid growth, and the cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body. This type of tumor is especially dangerous because the cancer cells have the ability to travel through the blood stream and grow tumors in other parts of the body.
Carcinogens are agents that have the ability to produce cancer. Carcinogens can be a substance or radiation that causes cancer. The way how a person’s lifestyle can affect one’s risks of getting cancer are the surroundings that you work in. Some people work in coal factories and being exposed to coal(dust or smoke) on a daily basis can greatly increase the risk of getting lung cancer. There are also many other workplaces where people are being exposed to carcinogens (e.g. radiation, chemicals,…) on a day to day basis. The only way to reduce the risk of getting cancer in those work conditions is by wearing proper equipment and following provided procedures of safety. The risk of cancer can also be increased by having a body that is not in shape and not receiving proper nutrients. So stay in shape and eat healthy to prevent cancer.
**Always take medical advice from your doctor, NOT from Internet sources. This is just for common knowledge.***
Bibliography
1) http://www.cancerquest.org/index.cfm?page=302
2) http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2009/08/14/behind-the-headlines-stem-cells-and-cancer-research/
3) http://cancer.about.com/od/causes/tp/topreventcancer.htm
4) http://www.scienceclarified.com/Ti-Vi/Tumor.html
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