Do you fear that one day you will be diagnosed with cancer? If so, you are one person among millions that share the same fear. Like most things we are afraid of in life, the fear is grounded in lack of knowledge because many cancers can be successfully treated if detected early enough. The first step is defining what is meant by cancer and then identifying its origins.
The National Cancer Institute defines cancer as “…a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues.”1 There are over 100 diseases classified as cancer, but they all start with the abnormal division of cells. The haphazard growth of cells is the result of damage to the DNA that dictates cell death and division. Cancer cells are mutated cells that don’t die. Instead they grow wildly and divide out-of-control while replicating the damaged DNA.2
Cells On The Move
Cancer cells can spread throughout the body by travelling through the blood stream and lymph systems. Most DNA damaged cells reach a location where they begin to multiply forming one or more tumors in a process called metastasis. Cancer cells forming tumors invade healthy tissue unlike benign tumors which are not cancerous. Leukemia is a cancer exception in that it does not form tumors. Theoretically, cancer can develop anywhere in the body, though there are some locations more prone to developing cancer than others.
The top 5 major causes of death in 2009 were heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke and accidents. Cancer is the leading cause of death in people aged 45 to 64 years old. For people aged 25 to 44 years old and those over 65 years old, cancer is the second leading cause of death.3
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in the United States. In 2007 there were 58,094 people diagnosed with skin melanoma.4 This number does not include non-melanoma skin cancer which would push the total number of people diagnosed with skin cancer to over a million each year. Following skin cancer, the next most common types of cancers are lung, colon, prostate and breast.
The large group of cancer is subdivided into 5 main categories.
- Carcinoma – cancer cells first grow in the skin or the internal organ linings
- Sarcoma – cancer cells first grow in cartilage, bone, muscle, fat, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and any other supporting tissue
- Lymphoma and myeloma – cancer cells first grow in immune system
- Leukemia – cancer cells first grow in bone morrow and then enter bloodstream
- Central nervous system cancers – cancer cells first grow in brain and spinal cord
There is a spectrum of options ranging from holistic approaches to chemotherapy and radiation to surgery. Cancer patients may undergo one or more treatments once diagnosed. The most common treatments are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, laser therapy, and targeted drug therapies, in addition to a host of other treatment methods like angiogenesis inhibitors therapy and bone marrow transplantation. There is also ongoing research in the development of new treatments that are still being tested in a limited number of cases like proton therapy.
Preventing Cancer Is Top Priority
The best option for any particular case will depend on the type and stage of the skin cancer. The stage of cancer is a way to express how far the cancer has advanced. Stages range from 0 to 4 and are based on how invasive the cancer has become as it progresses. The more advanced the cancer, the more dangerous the cancer which is exactly why early detection is so important.
The medical community places great emphasis on preventing cancer. There are many things that cause cancer and you have control over most of them. Though some people have a genetic tendency to develop certain forms of cancer, lifestyle plays an enormous role in the probability of developing cancer. Only 1 out of every 20 cases of cancer is attributed to inherited genes.6 However, even in the genetic cases, there are many ways to reduce the chances of developing cancer by:
- Eating a healthy well-balanced diet
- Exercising
- Not smoking
- Avoiding exposure to ultraviolet rays
- Restricting alcohol consumption
- Getting regular screening examinations like a colonoscopy
Ground breaking studies are underway to find new drug therapies and surgical procedures to treat cancer. For example, medical advances in gene silencing, intensity modulated radiation therapy and whipple surgery for pancreatic surgery are just a few examples of the type of ongoing research being conducted in medical facilities.
You do not have to fear cancer, but you do have to take responsibility for maintaining a lifestyle that reduces your chances of developing cancer. It is always a better to prevent disease then it is to treat disease.
References
1What Is Cancer? (2011). Retrieved July 19, 2011, from National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/what-is-cancer
2Learn About Cancer. (2011). Retrieved July 19, 2011, from American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerBasics/what-is-cancer
3National Vital Statistics Sysme – Deaths in the United States 2009. (2011, July). Retrieved July 19, 2011, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss.htm
4Skin Cancer. (2011). Retrieved July 19, 2011, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/
5What is Cancer?, Op.Cit.
6What is Cancer?, Op.Cit.
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The content provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Our content is not medical advice you should seek a licensed physician or health professional regarding all health issues. SKIN-CANCER.ORG takes no responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, or application of medication which results from reading this site.
