Wednesday, February 23, 2011

What is Cancer ?

Cancer is a disease that leading cause of death. Cancer can attack anybody, any age, any gender. Cancer appears because the rapidly growth in the human cells so the body cannot control it. Cancer grow in the human organ tissue.

The most part of human tissue witch got the cancer:
Breast 13%
Prostrate 23%
Lung 14%
Colon and Rectum 10%
Bladder 4%
Brain 5%



Cancer is causing by a combination of genetic factors and outside carcinogens such as tobacco, viruses, infection, asbestos, vinyl chloride, inappropriate diet.
Cancer often has no specific symptoms, so it is important that you limit your risk factors and undergo appropriate cancer screening. The signs and symptoms will depend on where the cancer is, the size of the cancer, and how much it affects the nearby organs or structures.
If a cancer spreads (metastasizes), then symptoms may appear in different parts of the body. As a cancer grows, it begins to push on nearby organs, blood vessels, and nerves. If the cancer is in a critical area, such as certain parts of the brain, even the smallest tumor can cause early symptoms.
But sometimes cancers start in places where it does not cause any symptoms until the cancer has grown quite large. Pancreatic cancers, for example, do not usually grow large enough to be felt from the outside of the body. By the time a pancreatic cancer causes these signs or symptoms, it has usually reached an advanced stage.
A cancer may also cause symptoms common to many other problems, such as; fever, fatigue and weight loss. This may be because the cancer uses up much of the body's energy or it may cause the release of substances which affect metabolism.
Some lung cancers make hormone-like substances that affect blood calcium levels, affecting nerves and muscles and causing weakness and dizziness.
It is important to know what some of the general (non-specific) signs and symptoms of cancer are, but remember that having any of these does not mean that you have cancer.
Most cancers can be treated and some cured, depending on the specific type, location, and stage. The earlier the cancer is found, the better the prognosis.
A good example of the importance of finding cancer early is melanoma skin cancer. Skin cancer can be easy to remove if it has not grown deep into the skin, and the 5-year survival rate (percentage of people living at least 5 years after diagnosis) at this stage is nearly 100%.
Screening for breast cancer with mammograms has been shown to reduce the average stage of diagnosis of breast cancer in a population. Colorectal cancer can be detected through fecal occult blood testing and colonoscopy, which reduces both colon cancer incidence and mortality, presumably through the detection and removal of pre-malignant polyps. Similarly, cervical cytology testing (using the Pap smear) leads to the identification and excision of precancerous lesions.
Testicular self-examination is recommended for men beginning at the age of 15 years to detect testicular cancer.
SIGNS and SYMPTOMS
Pain may be an early symptom with some cancers such as bone cancers or testicular cancer.
Long-term constipation, diarrhea, or a change in the size of the stool may be a sign of colon cancer.
Pain with urination, blood in the urine, or a change in bladder function (such as more frequent or less frequent urination) could be related to bladder or prostate cancer.
Skin cancers may bleed and look like sores that do not heal.
A long-lasting sore in the mouth could be an oral cancer and should be dealt with right away, especially in patients who smoke, chew tobacco, or frequently drink alcohol.
Sores on the penis or vagina may either be signs of infection or an early cancer, and should not be overlooked.
Unusual bleeding can happen in either early or advanced cancer.
Blood in the sputum (phlegm) may be a sign of lung cancer.
Blood in the stool (or a dark or black stool) could be a sign of colon or rectal cancer.
Blood in the urine may be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer.
A bloody discharge from the nipple may be a sign of breast cancer.
Many cancers can be felt through the skin, mostly in the breast, testicle, lymph nodes (glands), and the soft tissues of the body. A lump or thickening may be an early or late sign of cancer.
While they commonly have other causes, indigestion or swallowing problems may be a sign of cancer of the esophagus, stomach, or pharynx (throat).
A cough that does not go away may be a sign of lung cancer.
A cancer may be suspected for a variety of reasons, but the definitive diagnosis of most malignancies must be confirmed by histological examination of the cancerous cells by a pathologist.

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