Cancer is a collection of many diseases that involve the growth of abnormal cells. The most common cancers in adults are skin cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.
What is cancer?
Cancer is a collection of many diseases that involve the growth of abnormal cells. The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and then die. Sometimes, cells mutate (change). They begin to grow and divide faster than normal cells. Instead of dying, these abnormal cells clump together to form a tumor.
Sometimes these tumors are benign (not cancerous). But if the cells in these tumors are cancerous (malignant), they can invade and kill your body’s healthy tissues. From these tumors, cancer cells can metastasize (spread) and form new tumors in other parts of the body. The cells in a benign tumor have not spread to other parts of the body.
There are different types of cancer. All cancers start with abnormal cells that grow out of control. The type of cancer is determined by the type of cells that begin to grow abnormally and where they develop. Cancer cells that develop in the skin are skin cancers. These cells that develop in the breast are breast cancer cells. Even if these cancers spread to another part of the body, they are still considered skin or breast cancers. That’s because skin or breast cancer cells spread. For example, if breast cancer has spread to the lungs, it is still breast cancer. In this case, it would be called metastatic breast cancer.
The most common cancers in adults are skin cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.
Symptoms
There are many different symptoms of cancer. Usually, your symptoms will depend on the type of cancer you have. For example, one symptom of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. One symptom of skin cancer is an unusual-looking mole. General symptoms that tend to accompany many types of cancer include:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Tired
- Doesn’t feel “right”
- Blood in stool or urine
- Lumps anywhere on the body
- Changes in skin shape, texture, or color anywhere on the body
What causes cancer?
Cancer is caused by mutations in the DNA in your cells. DNA is what makes up your genes, which gives instructions to cells about what they should do. When the DNA mutates, it causes an error in the instructions. This causes the cell to stop working properly. It can cause cells to become cancerous.
Many things can cause your genes to mutate. Sometimes you are born with a mutation. This means you have inherited it from your parents. More commonly, mutations happen after you are born. Factors that can cause this include:
- Smoke
- Radiation
- virus
- Carcinogens (chemicals that cause cancer)
- Hormonal
- Chronic inflammation
Who is at risk?
Everyone is at some risk for cancer. In the United States, cancer is likely to affect 1 in 3 people in their lifetime. The level of risk you take depends on a number of factors. These factors include:
- Tobacco use
- Lifestyle choices (such as diet and exercise)
- Family history
- Factors in your workplace and environment
How do I know if I am at risk for cancer?
Talk to your doctor. They can help you understand your cancer risk. They can also help you understand how your cancer risk is affected by the following:
- Use or have ever used tobacco products, such as cigarettes or chewing tobacco.
- Drink alcohol.
- Exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
- There is a risk of skin cancer.
Depending on your age and risk factors, your doctor may begin to screen you for certain types of cancer. Screening means looking for certain cancers before they cause any symptoms. Some doctors recommend that people at high risk or with a family history of cancer be screened more often or at a younger age than people at average risk for cancer. Recommendations for screening vary for different cancers.
How is cancer diagnosed?
There are several tests your doctor will need to perform if cancer is suspected:
- physical examination. Your doctor will give you a complete physical examination. They will examine your body for lumps or tumors. They will examine your skin for changes or enlargement of any areas.
- Test. These may include urine and blood tests that can find abnormalities that may be caused by cancer.
- image test. These tests are non-invasive. They take pictures of your bones and the inside of your body. This may include CT scans, bone scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, X-rays, and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
- If you have a tumor, your doctor will want to look at the cells inside. They will collect a sample of cells. There are many ways to do this. These often depend on what type of cancer is suspected and its location. A biopsy is the surest way to diagnose cancer.
If your doctor determines that you have cancer, you will undergo more tests. These will tell your doctor the stage of your cancer. This means the size of the tumor and how far it has spread. The stage of your cancer helps determine the type of treatment you will have. It also helps your doctor know how likely you are to cure your cancer.
Further testing usually includes more visual tests. These will show if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Can cancer be prevented or avoided?
In some cases, cancer is caused by lifestyle choices, such as smoking or not protecting your skin when outdoors. In those cases, it can be avoided by making better choices. Sometimes the gene mutation that causes it is inherited. Other times, it happens even when you are doing all the right things to minimize the risk. In those cases, the cancer cannot be prevented. But early detection can make a big difference in your treatment and outcome.
Why is early cancer detection important?
Some common cancers are easier to treat if caught early. If the tumor is found when it is small and has not spread, the cancer can be easily treated. However, the longer a tumor goes unnoticed, the greater the chance that the cancer has spread. This often makes treatment more difficult.
What can I do to reduce my risk of cancer?
Unfortunately, some risk factors for cancer (such as family history) are beyond your control. But there are things you can do every day to improve your health and reduce your cancer risk. The best ways to reduce your cancer risk are:
- Quit smoking.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Be active.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Limit how much alcohol you drink.
- Limit exposure to sunlight or tanning beds.
If you’re a cancer survivor, these same lifestyle habits can help keep you healthy.
Seeing your doctor regularly can also help. Depending on your age and medical history, your doctor will likely perform tests (called screenings) to try to detect the early signs of some cancers. For most types of cancer, the earlier cancer is found and treated, the better your chances of recovery.
Cancer treatment
The three most common types of cancer treatment are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Treatment is aimed at removing cancer cells or killing them with drugs or other means.
Some cancers cannot be cured. Some people choose to focus on quality of life and choose not to have treatment. In these cases, they may rely on palliative and hospice care. Palliative care can help provide comfort and treat symptoms. It can begin as soon as it is diagnosed. Hospice care begins near the end of life. That is usually when the person cannot survive more than 6 months.
Surgery
Surgery is one way to remove cancer. Surgery can be very successful in treating some types of cancer. But it is not an option in all cases. The tumor and any affected surrounding tissue can be safely removed if:
- Cancer in the form of a malignant tumor (metastatic tumor).
- Tumor is still located in one place (localized).
Surgery may not be possible if:
- Cancer has spread to other areas of the body.
- It is not possible to remove a tumor without damaging vital organs, such as the liver or brain.
Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy uses radiation to damage cancer cells so that they cannot multiply. Radiation is in the form of X-rays, gamma rays or special electrons. There is usually no pain in this type of therapy. Depending on the area being treated, side effects from radiation damage to normal tissues may occur. Your doctor can tell you what to expect. Radiation therapy is sometimes the only treatment needed. It can also be used with other therapies. A combination of surgery and radiation therapy may be used for tumors that grow in one place.
Valence
Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to attack cancer cells. This treatment method sometimes causes a lot of fear because the side effects can be serious. However, not everyone experiences serious side effects. The side effects of chemotherapy can often be treated with other drugs.
Chemotherapy is often used when the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. It can also be used in conjunction with surgery and radiation therapy. Sometimes the tumor is surgically removed. Then, chemotherapy is used to make sure any remaining cancer cells are killed.
Other specialized treatments may be available. Your doctor can talk to you about these treatments if they are an option for you.
Live with the cancer
Many types of cancer are treatable, especially when found early. Cancer treatments keep getting better. Life expectancy after a cancer diagnosis is much higher than it used to be.
Living with cancer during treatment can be stressful. Treatments can have different side effects on your body. Take good care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, and try to maintain your energy by staying active.
Even after the cancer goes into remission, you still have a high risk of the cancer coming back into your body. Being in partial remission means you can stop treatment for as long as the cancer stops growing. If you are in complete remission, there is no evidence of the disease remaining in your body. You will need regular follow-up care and check-ups for many years after treatment.