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ABOUT CANCER: | Diseases & Diagnosis | Treatments for Cancer | Supportive Care | Cancer Treatment Studies
About Cancer
Cancer is a disease process that occurs, in organs of the body, and begins when a single cell becomes abnormal. Organs of the body such as the lungs, breasts, and colon are made of tissues composed of cells. These cells are unable function properly when cancerous. The latter is most often caused by the damage by loss or gain of genes.
When a tumor is said to be malignant, the type of cells composing the tumor harm other functioning cells surrounding them. They divide and grow without restrictions, and have the ability to spread to other areas of the body. Benign tumors are not considered to be cancerous. They are usually restricted, do not spread but have the potential to grow, or compress surrounding normal functioning cells. Some benign tumors may become malignant with time.
Causes
Genetic abnormalities have a wide range of effects on the ability of a cell to function, and successfully complete it's cycle of growth. Environmental factors, called carcinogens, such as prolonged exposure to radiation (as in Ultraviolet light from the sun), the use of tobacco products, prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers, heavy use of alcohol, and viral infections (for example, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) can result in genetic abnormalities.
In order to have a constant supply of new tissue, cells must make copies of themselves in a process called the cell cycle. During this process, the genetic material (DNA) is copied. One set of the copied DNA and other cell structures are passed on to the new cell during cell division. After the cell cycle and division are complete, one cell has become two. It is during this cell cycle that damage to DNA can occur. Even in normal functioning cells, mistakes happen but are corrected. If a mistake cannot be corrected the cell is stopped from completing the cell cycle and dies. When a cell becomes older or exposed to environmental factors, mistakes in chromosomal division more likely to take place. These mistakes are called genetic abnormalities. Unable to correct itself, the cell becomes abnormal.
Risks
Although the risk of having cancer increases with age, it may develop at any age, affect either gender, races and ethhas the ability to affect men and women of all ages, all races, and does not spare any ethnic groups. While 10% of cancers are inherited, most are not.
Classifications
The term carcinoma is used to describe malignant tumors that develop from epithelial cells. These cells form the surface lining of skin, internal organs and passages like the digestive tract. Carcinomas are the most common cancers. Examples are breast cancer, prostate, lung and colon cancer.
Sarcomas are malignant tumors derived from connective and soft tissues such as fat, muscle, blood vessels, bone, tendons, and cartilage. Examples are liposarcoma, rhabdmyosarcoma, chondrosarcooma, fibrosarcoma, and glioma.
Lymphoma is a malignant cancer develops in lymph glands. They are of two types: the solid cancers Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Hodgkins Lymphoma. More than thirty subtypes of these tumors are presently identified.
Leukemia is a malignant cancer of bone marrow. It results in the production of immature white blood cells, while also supressing the production of red blood cells causing anemia and problems with the clotting of blood. Leukemias may be slow or rapidly growing. Terms used in describing leukemia are Granulocytic (Myelogenous) and Lymphocytic. Leukemias may be preceeded by a pre-leukemic state called Myelodysplasia.
Myeloma is a malignant cancer that develops in plasma cells of the bone marrow. Plasma cells are important for the immune system because of the antibodies they produce. The most common symptom of Myeloma is bone pain and bacterial infections.
Importance of Screening
Screening can detect disease early in patients before they develop signs or symptoms. The goal of screening is early detection of cancer. In order to save lives, it is crucial that screening detect cancer before it spreads; since time is of the essence in the treatment of cancer. Early stages of cancer have a higher success in eradicating disease. Though screening is a very important tool, it is not used to diagnosis but rather to discover the presence of cancer. A diagnosis is made following a biopsy and pathology review. Free Cancer Screening at Feist Weiller Cancer Center