What is Cancer

 By MOAAZ SIDDIQ

Cancer is second only to cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in the Western world. Although Cancer is primarily a disease of the elderly with more than 60% of deaths from cancer occurring in those over the age of 65, cancer can strike even the youngest of children.

Cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too rapidly. Cancer can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the lung, colon, breast, skin, bones, or nerve tissue.

Most common sites are:

Prostrate 24%
Breast 13%
Lung 13%
Colon and Rectum 9%
Bladder 3%
Uterus 2.5%

The cause of Cancer is believed to be 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.

TREATMENT

Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Radiation therapy may be used to treat almost every type of solid tumor, including cancers of the brain, breast, cervix, larynx, lung, pancreas, prostate, skin, stomach, uterus, or soft tissue sarcomas.

Most forms of chemotherapy target all rapidly dividing cells and are not specific for cancer cells, although some degree of specificity may come from the inability of many cancer cells to repair DNA damage, while normal cells generally can.

Contemporary methods for generating an immune response against tumours include intravesical BCG immunotherapy for superficial bladder cancer, and use of interferons and other cytokines to induce an immune response in renal cell carcinoma and melanoma patients.

Pain medication, such as morphine and oxycodone, and anti-emetics, drugs to suppress nausea and vomiting, are very commonly used in patients with cancer-related symptoms. transmission and disease.

Advances in cancer research have made a vaccine designed to prevent cancer available. The vaccine protects against four HPV types, which together cause 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts.

The consensus on diet and cancer is that obesity increases the risk of developing cancer. The cancer-fighting components of food are also proving to be more numerous and varied than previously understood, so patients are increasingly being advised to consume fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for maximal health benefits.

Conditions and Symptoms

By MOAAZ SIDDIQ

Cancer can be defined as a state whereby the human cell goes trophoblastic. This is a process whereby the human cell tends to multiply uncontrollably. The affected part of the body has its cells grow, divide and multiply uncontrollably thereby forming a lump. Cancer affects the blood and organs that form blood thereby finding its way to the blood streams. It invades the nearby tissues and keeps spreading to all the parts of the body.

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases ever known to the human race. Cancer is known to be a progressive disease. It is a disease that affects the human body cells and metabolism. Even though cancer of some parts of the body like the breast and lungs is very common, cancer can affect the eye or hair and most people don't even know this.

Human body is made up of microscopic living units which form all living organs in the body. The cells in the body organs usually grow and divide, especially during a healing process after the body is subjected to an injury. In the case of cancer, there is an abnormal growth where cells grows and divide at an alarming rate, spreading to other parts of the body. This continuous growth and division of the cells forms what is known as tumor. The growth can be malignant or benign. Malignant growth is the cancerous growth which can spread to other parts of the body while the benign tumor are not life threatening and can be removed.

There are a lot of symptoms of cancer depending on the kind. The most common ones are drastic loss of weight, tiredness and fatigue, pains and numbs in the affected part and constant infections.

Surgery is the major treatment used to remove the cancer tumor. However, the affected part may be removed in some cases depending on the stage of the cancer. After the treatment, a therapy to avoid the re- occurrence of the tumor follows. Therapy kills the remaining cancer cells left in the affected part after surgery. Therapy may be chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy.

Cancer can be avoided with constant exercise, good diet, proper weight watching, and avoiding smoking and drinking. Early detection of cancer is very important for quick treatment before it gets to the critical stage when radical treatment will be needed.

what are Causes of Cancer

By MOAAZ SIDDIQ

Do you ever wonder what causes cancer? If so, then maybe you are now in search of the various facts regarding cancer. Well, cancer is plainly defined as the development and growth of strange cells in the body which normally affects different organs and tissues within the body. The uncontrolled development of the cells can actually lead to death if left untreated. As a matter of fact, there are about 200 forms of cancer in existence in these days. These cancer forms are still divided into different groups namely, sarcoma, myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, and carcinoma. These groups may differ to one another but their causes are somewhat just the same.

Determining what causes cancer is essential so that you can have the chance to lower the risk of acquiring such a disease. In this regard, the following are some of the most common factors causing cancer which you ought to know:

• Environmental Factors: It is quite a common fact that lots of toxic substances and pollutants are present in the environment. Some of these are in fact the asbestos, benzene, cigarette smokes, exhausts from vehicles, as well as man-made or natural radiation. All of these substances and chemicals, according to medical specialists can without a doubt induce cancer.

• Genetic Factor: Another factor which has a great contribution to what causes cancer has something to do with the genetic factor. Generally, a genetic link can be identified if one's family history is assessed. Having one or more family relatives with cancer increases the probability of developing the disease too due to a mutated gene. Thus, if ever you have discovered that you have a copy of a cancer mutated gene then, you are significantly at a high risk of developing the said disease. Nonetheless, there is nothing to worry about because some specialists revealed that it is still probable to sustain a genetic tendency for developing cancer without really being afflicted by the disease at any point.

• Sun Exposure: The harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun are also one of the many factors to what causes cancer. Hence, overexposure to the sun is not that healthy and quite detrimental. So, the best thing which you can do is to always wear sun protection such as lotion or sun block every time you are going out under the sun. You have to make sure that your lotion has at least SPF 15 to reduce the infiltration of ultraviolet rays into the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin.

• Tobacco: Smoking is irrefutably a bad habit since it increases your risk for obtaining cancer. Tobacco which can be mostly found in cigarettes does contain at least 250 dangerous chemicals which are believed to be cancer causing agents. For this reason, it is advisable for you to quit smoking and have a healthy lifestyle.

Indeed, there are a number of factors to what causes cancer. You need to be familiar with these factors so that you can protect yourself and stay away from the threats of having cancer. After all, you certainly do want to have a healthy life, right?

What Causes Cancer?

By MOAAZ SIDDIQ

Whether you have cancer and would like to treat it, or want to avoid developing it, this article will explain exactly what causes the devastating illness.

The harsh truth about cancer is that as many as 90% of all cases are caused by environmental changes that humans have made and created, ranging from what we eat to what we drink and what we breathe.

This is hardly surprising when we consider the state of the planet because of the changes we have made - if we are concerned about global warming, we can't expect that there will be no similar effect to ourselves.

Our diets are going downhill year by year, and we have addictions to cigarettes, illegal drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, and more.

All of these things can act as either carcinogens - which are capable of causing cancer; or cancer promoters - which accelerate the growth of tumours.

The chemicals and pollutions that are present throughout the planet are not easily avoidable, but there are some changes you can make that will help treat or avoid the illness.

Just by switching to a healthy, balanced optimum diet you can reduce your risk of cancer by over 40%. In fact, the European Commission estimates that a quarter of a million lives could be saved every single year through dietary changes alone!

Furthermore, at least 85% of cancers are associated with factors including diet but also smoking and alcohol.

Other risk factors include:

• free radical damage
• medical drugs
• industrial products
• food additives
• radiation
• UV light
• stress
• pollution
• sexual activity

Causes of Cancer

By MOAAZ SIDDIQ

What is Cancer?

The term 'Cancer' refers to any one of a large number of diseases in which a group of cells show an abnormal development with an uncontrollable division beyond the normal limits. They have the ability to intrude and destroy adjacent body tissues. Cancer cells have the ability to spread throughout the body via lymph and blood, thus destroying the healthy tissues (process known as invasion).

All the cancers begin in the basic unit of life - the cell. Normal cells in a body have the ability to grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as per needed to keep the body healthy. When the cells become old or damaged, they die and get replaced with new cells. If and when this normal process gets disturbed then cancer gets initiated. In a normal process, old cells die after a certain period of time and are replaced by new cells. But in a cancerous state, new cells keep on developing while old cells do not die when they should thus leading to a mass of tissue known as a tumor.

There are two types of tumors:

1. Benign tumors: 
A benign tumor is not cancerous. It can often be removed and usually does not come back. These cells grow in a limited, non-aggressive manner. They do not invade the surrounding tissues and neither spread to other parts of the body, i.e., do not metastasize.

2. Malignant tumors: 
A malignant tumor is cancerous. Cells in these tumors invade the surrounding tissues and spread to other parts of the body.

Causes of Cancer

There are certain risk factors which might lead to cancer development. These are:

• Growing Older 
• Tobacco 
• Sunlight 
• Ionizing radiation 
• Certain chemicals and other substances 
• Some viruses and bacteria 
• Certain hormones 
• Family history of cancer 
• Alcohol 
• Poor diet, lack of physical activity, or being overweight

Most of these risk factors can be avoided, while some others, such as family history, cannot be avoided. Wherever and whenever possible, steps can be taken in staying away from known risk factors.

Keep in mind that:

• Not everything causes cancer. 
• Cancer is not caused by an injury, such as a bump or bruise. 
• Cancer is not contagious. Although being infected with certain viruses or bacteria may increase the risk of some types of cancer, no one can catch cancer from another person. 
• Having one or more risk factors does not mean that you will get cancer. Most people who have risk factors never develop cancer. 
• Some people are more sensitive than others to the known risk factors.

Read on for more information about some of the common risk factors for cancer:

Growing Older

Age is an important risk factor for cancer. Most cancers occur in people over the age of 65. But people of all ages, including children, can get cancer, too.

Tobacco

Tobacco use highly increases the risk of getting cancer, either it be directly using the tobacco or being around tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke). Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop cancer of the mouth, the organs related to respiratory system and the digestive system. They also are more likely to develop leukemia - cancer that starts in blood cells.

Quitting tobacco reduces the risk of cancer (though cancer risk is generally lowest among those who have never used tobacco). For those who have already had cancer, quitting reduces the chances of cancer recurrence.

Sunlight

Natural source of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the sun. Other sources are sunlamps and tanning booths. It causes early aging of the skin and skin damage that can lead to skin cancer.

Doctors encourage people of all ages to limit their time in the sun and to avoid other sources of UV radiation:

• Try to avoid exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 
• Stay in the shade if you have to go outside. 
• Cover exposed areas of the body. 
• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses with lenses that absorb UV. 
• Use sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15. They may help prevent skin cancer. 
• Stay away from sunlamps and tanning booths. They are no safer than sunlight.

Ionizing Radiation

Ionizing radiation can cause cell damage that leads to cancer. This radiation comes from rays that enter the Earth's atmosphere from outer space, radioactive fallout, radon gas, x-rays, and other sources.

Radioactive fallout comes from accidents at nuclear power plants or from the production, testing, or use of atomic weapons. People exposed to this fallout may have an increased risk of cancer.

Radon is an invisible, odour-less, tasteless radioactive gas. People working in mines may be exposed to radon.

Another common source of radiation is through medical procedures. Doctors use low-dose radiations for x-rays and high-dose radiations for radiation therapy to treat cancer. The risk of cancer from low-dose x-rays is extremely small as compared to radiation therapy. For both, the benefit nearly always outweighs the small risk.

Talk to your doctor or dentist about the need for each x-ray. Also ask for shields to protect parts of the body that are not in the picture.

Certain Chemicals and Other Substances

Studies show that exposure to asbestos, benzene, benzidine, cadmium, nickel, or vinyl chloride in the workplace can cause cancer. People who have exposure to these things in their workplaces - like painters, construction workers, and those in the chemical industry - have an increased risk of cancer.

Always tend to follow instructions and safety tips when handling harmful substances both at work and at home. Also be careful at home when handling pesticides, used engine oil, paint, solvents, and other chemicals.

Some Viruses and Bacteria

Being infected with certain viruses or bacteria may increase the risk of developing cancer:

• Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is the main cause of cervical cancer along with some other types of cancer. 
• Hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses might develop into liver cancer. 
• Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV-1)greatly increases the risk of lymphoma and leukemia. 
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - commonly known as AIDS. People having HIV infection have a greater risk of cancer - lymphoma and a rare cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma. 
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been linked to an increased risk of lymphoma. 
• Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is a cause of Kaposi's sarcoma. 
• Helicobacter pylorican cause stomach ulcers. It also can cause stomach cancer and lymphoma in the stomach lining.

Certain Hormones

In some health issues, doctors recommend hormone therapy. However, studies show that hormone therapy can cause serious side effects: increases the risk of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke, or blood clots.

Family History of Cancer

A normal cell may become a cancer cell after a series of gene changes occur. Some gene changes that increase the risk of cancer are passed from parent to child. These changes are present at birth in all cells of the body.

It is uncommon for cancer to run in a family. However, several cases of the same cancer type in a family may be linked to inherited gene changes, which increase the chance of developing cancers. However, environmental factors may also be involved. But mostly, multiple cases of cancer in a family are just a matter of chance.

Talk to your doctor if you think you may have a pattern of a certain type of cancer in your family. Your doctor may suggest ways to try to reduce your risk of cancer and also may suggest exams for early detection of cancer.

Ask your doctor about genetic testing to check certain inherited gene changes that might increase the chance of developing cancer. But remember, inheriting a gene change does not mean that you will definitely develop cancer. It means that you have an increased chance of developing the disease.

Poor Diet, Lack of Physical Activity, or Being Overweight

People who have a poor diet, do not have enough physical activity, or are overweight may be at increased risk of several types of cancer.

reasons of cancer due to food

By MOAAZ SIDDIQ

In this section, I will reveal some possible cancer causing food. It is important to obtain knowledge about the kind of food we all eat on a daily basis. Therefore after reading this section, I hope your attention shifts toward being more health conscious. Cancer is a threat to all of us and we need to take it seriously.

What Happens When You Change The Structure Of Food?

The food we consume especially protein will denature after it is cooked, baked, boiled, and fried. The word denatures means to change the structure (for protein the amino-acids change their structure) or reshape the food particle. Unfortunately when the food is denatured some of its components become mutagenic. As a result, our bodies have a difficult time trying to break down these mutagenic food particulates. At this point hopefully there are antioxidants in place that can pick some of these free radicals that are released from these mutagenic particulates. Free radicals are responsible for starting the process of cancer by damaging our cells. More on cancer and other diseases are located on my website located in the resource box below.

What Are Some Cancer Causing Food (meat)?

Foods that increase cancer risk the most are prepared foods. Here are a few examples of meat that causes cancer:

Fish- this particular meat can also contain mercury, which it great amounts can be a pre-requisite for cancer.

Most Fat-

Cholesterol- Example of this is eggs.

Iodide- Examples of this is sea fish, and mollusks.

What Are Some Cancer Causing Food (vegetables) ?

Vegetables are up to 50% less mutagenic than meats, but still have some properties that can cause cancer. Any vegetables that contain vitamin c, e and Beta-Carotene actively bind to radicals. These antioxidants in great excess can inhibit the useful functions of radicals, like decomposing tumor cells. Radicals can also destroy mutagenic substances from cigarette smoke.

In order to reduce your chances of coming down with cancer, consuming more uncooked fruits, vegetables and whole grains should stem off the affect of cancer causing food.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practioner/ patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well being other than to suggest that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The information and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of this publication based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher isn't responsible for errors or omissions. The Food and Drug Administration have not evaluated these statements. These products aren't intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

different kinds of cancer

By MOAAZ SIDDIQ

Cancer is one of those words that everyone dreads. There are various types of cancer and any type of cancer is really bad news. All types of cancer are life threatening (this is what makes them so dreadful). Even with all that medical advancement we still don't have a complete cure for all types of cancer. However, there is continuous research going-on for finding better treatments for cancer and to increase our knowledge on cancer in general. Though there are treatments currently available for some types of cancer, these treatments work only if the cancer is discovered in early stages.

Types of cancer

Generally, cancer is named after the part of the body in which it originates. Most common types of cancer are breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Though, this might vary across geographies etc, these four types of cancer seem to be the more notorious ones. The other types of cancer include: cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer, bone cancer, brain cancer, skin cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer and testicular cancer. Besides this, cancer is also classified as primary and secondary based on whether it originated in that body part itself or spread from another body part.

Diagnosis of various types of cancer

It's not just the treatment of various types of cancer that is difficult (or impossible) but also their detection (or diagnosis). In fact, correct and timely diagnosis is the first step towards treatment of any type of cancer. The earlier you are able to detect cancer, the more effective is its treatment.

Treatment of various types of cancer

Though the treatment of all types of cancers is not possible, some types of cancer can be treated if they are diagnosed early enough e.g. detection of malignancy when it has just started to develop. The treatment for cancer is carried out in many different ways. These range from surgery to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and biologic therapies. Hormone therapies are also gaining popularity for treatment of some types of cancer. Transplantation of bone marrow and many other new procedures for treatment of cancer are being constantly tried and analysed in order to get a fail-proof treatment for cancer.

Research on diagnosis on various types of cancer

The huge number of deaths that are caused every year by various types of cancer has lead to a lot of focus being put into the research on diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer. Meanwhile, we can just hope that there will soon be a complete cure available for the most common types of cancer (if not all types of cancer).