Cancer

My uncle passed away after suffering from cancer for 2 years. Back to his days torturing by cancer, I’ve seen him went through really tough times: different treatments, various medicine, and etc. This has made me think a lot… Since human civilization begins, this disease has not been cured in whatever possible ways. I started to do some diggings on cancer, and below is what I got:


1.0 What is cancer?

Cancer is also known as “Carcinoma” or “Malignant tumor”. It is a kind of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. There are more than 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.


2.0 Causes Of Cancer

Cancer grows out of normal cells in the body. Normal cells multiply when the body needs them, and die when the body doesn't need them. Cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too quickly. There are many different kinds of cancers. Cancer can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the bones, breast, colon, lung, skin, or nerve tissue. There are many causes of cancers, including:
•Benzene and other chemicals
•Excessive alcohol consumed
•Environmental toxins (poisonous mushrooms)
•Excessive sunlight exposure
•Genetic problems
•Obesity
•Radiation
•Viruses
However, the cause of many cancers still remains unknown.


3.0 Symptoms

Cancer symptoms are quite varied and depend on where the cancer is located, where it has spread, and how big the tumor is. Some cancers can be felt or seen through the skin, while some may not have any symptoms at all. In certain cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, symptoms often do not start until the disease has reached a critical stage. The following symptoms can occur with most cancers:
•Chills •Fatigue •Fever •Loss of appetite •Malaise •Night sweats •Weight loss


4.0 Treatment

Generally, there is no single treatment for cancer, and patients often receive a combination of therapies and palliative care. Cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer and how much it has spread, age, health status, and additional personal characteristics. Treatments usually fall into one of the following categories: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, or gene therapy.
Detected & Not spread => Surgery
Not removable => Radiation, Chemotherapy
Unfortunately, there is still no complete technology or medical treatments which is able to cure cancer.


5.0 Prevention

Study suggests that certain practices and behaviors to prevent cancer as below:
- Healthy diet
- Exercising regularly
- Limiting alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Minimizing the exposure to radiation and toxic chemicals
- Not smoking or chewing tobacco
- Reducing sun exposure