Cancer is a deadly disease which begins in your cells. Our body is made up of many types of cells. Usually our body creates new cells when needed and replaces the old cells when they die to keep our body healthy. But sometimes this process goes wrong. New cells grow in an uncontrolled way when they are not needed and old cells don’t die when they should. These cancerous cells form a mass of tissue called tumor. Tumors can either be malignant or benign. Cancer cells are malignant and they will spread to other parts of the body through the lymph systems and blood. Most cancers are named after the organ from which it is originated. For example liver cancer starts in the liver. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis.

What are the different types of cancer?

There are more than 100 different types of cancers are found. The most common type of cancer is the skin cancer, blood cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer and liver cancer.

Skin Cancer

Among all type of cancer, skin cancer represents about half of all cancers diagnosed in USA. Skin cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the outer layers of your skin. People who are spending a lot of time in sunlight have more possibility of getting affected by skin cancer and those who are having light colored skin are more prone to skin cancer. The signs and symptoms of skin cancer are, wound that doesn’t heal and presence of small lump and red spots in skin. Skin cancer is classified into three main types- basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a type of cancer that begins in blood cells. The types of leukemia are classified by how quickly they develop and spread. The different types of leukemia include acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia and other forms of leukemia. The exact causes of leukemia are not known. The common symptoms of leukemia are fevers, frequent infections, night sweats, fatigue, headache, unintentional weight loss, pain in the bones or joints and swollen lymph nodes. The treatment for leukemia includes chemotherapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy and stem cell transplantation.

Brain Cancer

Brain cancer is a disease where cancer cells develop in the brain tissue. These cancerous cells form a mass of tissue called tumor which affects the functions of brain such as memory, sensation, muscle control and other normal body functions. Cancer cells which originate within the brain tissue are called primary brain cancer. Secondary brain cancer is the cancer which has spread from other parts of the body to brain. The most common symptoms of brain cancer are as follows: severe headaches, nausea, fatigue, loss of feeling in the arms or legs, change in vision, lose of memory, change in speech and hormonal disorders. Statistics suggest that Brain cancer affects approximately 20,000 people per year.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and the second most common in women. It is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. The uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells in the lungs is termed as lung cancer. The lung cancer may spread to nearby organs of our body. Lung cancer is of two types namely- small cell lung carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are as follows: short breath, coughing up blood, pain while breathing or coughing, weight loss, loss of appetite and fatigue.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world. It is a deadly cancer which kills almost all patients who have it within a year. Liver cancer is of two types namely- primary (hepatoma) liver cancer which starts with in the liver and secondary (metastatic) liver cancer which starts somewhere else in the body and spreads to the liver.

Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

What are the signs and symptoms of cancer?

Cancer produces different types of symptoms where some symptoms may be slight where as others may not be subtle. Some symptoms develop in the early stages of cancer. These signs and symptoms helps in the early detection of cancer. Sometimes the symptoms may develop only when the cancer becomes chronic and therefore it is not possible to detect cancer in its early stages. Still other symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, and vomiting may be the symptom of cancer or it may be as a result of cancer treatment. Some symptoms are common in almost all type of cancer where as other type of cancer are specific to the type and where it is growing.

How is cancer diagnosed?

Cancer is suspected based on the symptoms of a person. The cancer is diagnosed through a physical examination or sometimes through a screening test. Sometimes x-rays taken for other reasons such as an injury increase the suspicion of cancer. Other tests such as diagnostic tests will be taken to confirm the presence of cancer. After cancer is diagnosed, it is staged. Staging is a way to find out the cancer whether it is big or small whether it has spread to the neighboring tissue or to lymph nodes or other organs.

Your doctor may also suggest a blood test or other types of laboratory tests after conducting the physical examination. The signs and symptoms will help your doctor to find out what could be wrong. Sample of your blood, urine or body tissues may be taken for analysis. If your blood and urine samples indicate the presence of tumor markers, this denotes the presence of cancer. Tumor markers are chemicals made by tumor cells. But sometimes tumor makers are also produced by some normal cells in our body.

What are the treatments available for cancer?

Earlier the cancer is diagnosed; more effective the treatment is likely to be.

Surgery

Surgery is one of the most important cancer treatments. A surgery will be performed only when the cancer is in extreme stage. Improvement in the field of surgery has allowed surgeons to successfully operate on a large number of cancer patients. Today, less invasive operations often can be done to remove tumors while saving normal tissues and their functions.

Surgery offers the greatest chance for cure for many types of cancer, especially those that have not spread to other parts of the body. Most people with cancer will have some type of surgery.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a method of destroying cancer cells by using powerful drugs. Our body creates new cells and old cells die in a controlled way. But in the case of cancer, abnormal cells keep dividing without control. Chemotherapy drugs prevent cancer cells from growing and multiplying. The major drawback of chemotherapy is that healthy cells can also be harmed; especially white blood cells that divide quickly.

Radiation Treatment

Radiation treatment is the use of high-energy rays to stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. The therapy is usually given to the exterior of your body by a machine that can emit high-energy beams directly to the location of your cancer. Radiation treatment is also referred as X-ray therapy or radiotherapy or cobalt therapy.

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