Everything you need to know about Cancer

Written By: Dr.Raniya Rinas Date : 04/02/2020

What exactly is cancer ?

Cancer is not just a single disease.It is a group of a more than a 100 diseases where the normal cells in your body start to multiply abnormally and causes something called as a 'tumour'. These tumors form in your body, when the old cells fail to die and the new cells keep on growing. It can start anywhere in the body from the lungs,breast,colon or even your blood.Cancer cells often multiply rapidly and causes problems in the part of the body where they started. Cancer often spreads to different parts of the body and is termed as 'metastases'. For instance a tumor that started in the breast can spread or 'metastase' to the bones. The cancer cells which where found in the bones , would look exactly similar to the ones seen in the breast.Hence making , the primary cause as a breast cancer which has spread to the bones. It is not called as bone cancer.

There are different types of cancers and the treatments depend on the type of cancers. Some grow and multiply fast,whereas some are slow in their growth.The treatments depend on what 'stage 'of cancer you are diagnosed with.Most cancers require combined treatments of surgery and chemo/radiotherapy.Surgery involves removing the affected organ/part of the body or removing the tumor.Combined with radiotherapy(radiation is used to kill cancer cells) and chemotherapy ( medicines to kill cancer cells are injected into the body), cancer treatments are easily available and can also completely cure your disease, depending on what stage of the disease you are in.

Why did I get cancer ?

People often think, "Why me "? Well, the answer to the question is still not clear. A fault in your genes, is not alone enough to cause cancer. Diet, physical activity, alcohol and tobacco use,exposure to radiation also contribute to the abnormal behaviour of the cells in your body. Eating too much of processed foods, sodas and weight gain have proven to cause cancer.Certain addictions like tobacco and alcohol are known to cause lung and liver cancer respectively. Living a healthy life and staying phyically active could definitely help reduce the chances of getting cancer.

How do I know if I have cancer?

Early detection and screening helps us find out if we have cancer. Most cancers ,show no signs and symptoms untill they have reached the last stages.Do not ignore ailing pains or lumps in your body. Get yourself checked periodically.Various screening programs are available. For instance,breast cancer can be detected by self examination of breasts. Blood tests, Xrays and ultrasounds, help detect most cancer at early stages.

You can increase your chance of getting cancer; you can reduce your chance of getting cancer. But sadly u cannot eliminate your risk of getting cancer.. Together we can make innovations for early detection and awareness of cancer..