What is Cancer?
Cancer is a general term for a large group of diseases, whose causes, characteristics and occurrence can vary greatly. There is no completely clear-cut definition of cancer.
Cancer refers to the abnormal growth of cell tissue. Cells are the basic units that make up the human body. Cells grow and divide to make new cells as the body needs them.
Usually, cells die when they get too old or damaged. Then, new cells take their place.
Cancer begins when genetic changes interfere with this orderly process.
Cells start to grow uncontrollably and normally don’t die in timely manner. These cells may form a mass called a tumor.
Tumors are usually divided into benign and malignant. A benign tumor is localized, develops slowly and does not usually result in the patient’s death.
Malignant or cancerous tumors develop more rapidly. They are not localized and are often fatal for the patient.
Cancer cells do not always form a compact tumor. Leukemia, for example, is a cancer in the blood-forming tissue where cancer cells circulate in the body and behave to some extent like healthy cells.
Eventually they displace healthy cells, preventing their normal function.
More and more people are able to recover from the disease. The scope for recovery depends on many things, such as the type of cancer and the tumor distribution. Many patients who cannot make a permanent recovery are able to live long lives due to developments in cancer treatment.
Cancer is one of the leading cause of death. There is a tremendous improvement in knowledge about cancer. Unfortunately Cancer still remains incurable in advance stage. No doubt with the modern medicine the survival of the patient has improved but not in terms of years.
Cancer cure still remains to few lucky who are diagnosed in initial stage.
The practice of primary prevention and early detection through periodic interventions like annual examination, known tumor markers like PSA, annual Pap smear or proven screening like colonoscopy or radiological examination like mammogram are routinely practiced in developed countries but are very hard to implement everywhere.
In spite of our increased knowledge if we want to save more life, we have to work on cancer prevention and early detection. As mentioned above early stage cancers are curable but this area remains the biggest challenge.
Reference For early detection of Cancer in Saurashtra:
We are embarking on this challenging area of cancer Prevention with the start of Kundaria Cancer Prevention Foundation under the auspices of the Rajkot Cancer Society. This unit will be spending resources and efforts on cancer prevention and early detection. We will also be providing cancer prevention meeting materials, flyers and Videos to all free of charge. For more info Contact
Kundaria Cancer Prevention Foundation:
Email: KCPF2019@GMAIL.COM
Tele: +91- 95106 84197
How is Cancer detected?
There is no single, simple method to diagnose cancer. It may take several months or years for malignant cells to multiply to the point where they can be detectable cancer.
Cancer symptoms depend on its location and unfortunately it is possible for cancer to become widespread before it starts to produce any symptoms at all. Sometimes cancers may be discovered accidentally during routine tests or the investigation of non-specific symptoms.
Easiest cancers to detect are
- Those that are on the skin and which show a change in a mole or wart. Those that start close to the surface and can be seen or felt as a lump or thickening.
- Relatively easy to examine for early signs of cancer such as the mouth and throat, the cervix and vagina or the rectum and anus.
The final cancer diagnosis is based on a pathologist’s opinion. Different cancers are discovered in different ways. Detecting cancer, or cancer diagnosis, always entails detailed examination.
What are the symptoms of cancer?
Cancer has numerous symptoms. It may be not show any symptoms for a long time or it may involve only very general symptoms, such as fatigue or weight loss. Cancer symptoms usually worsen as time passes. But they can vary substantially. Many types of cancer develop slowly over years. The spread of the disease also affects the symptoms you have.
Many cancer symptoms resemble those of other illnesses, and it may be that you don’t have any symptoms at all in the early stages of the disease. In most cases it takes years before a cancer becomes big enough to be noticed by palpation.
Cancer symptoms can include:
- A lump or sore that does not heal (including in the mouth)
- A mole that changes in form, size or pigmentation
- Change or damage to the skin that has not been present before and which increases
- Bloody vomit, stool or urine, or a cough producing blood
- Persistent cough
- Prolonged sore throat
- Fatigue
- Changes in bowel movement or urination
- Inexplicable weight loss
- Pain
- Yellowing of complexion
Simple Symptom reminder …… CAUTION
C: Change in bowel or bladder habits
A: A sore that does not heal
U: Unusual bleeding or discharge
T: Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere
I: Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
O: Obvious change in a wart or mole
N: Nagging cough or hoarseness
Types of cancer
Cancer is not a single disease but a large group of diseases that include many different cancers. Their causes, symptoms and forms of treatment differ from one another.
In Saurashtra the most common cancer among women is Breast cancer. The second is Cervical cancer, and the third is lung cancer.
In Saurashtra Among men, the most usual form of cancer is Oral cancer. The second is lung cancer and the third is prostate cancer.
The situation of each cancer patient is unique, which is why the symptoms can differ greatly.
Cancer genetics
According to current estimates, only about one in 10 cases of cancer is associated with hereditary predisposition. Cancer is not inherited.
Cancer is a common disease, and almost every family has a number of members who suffer from cancer. However, this does not generally mean that families have a hereditary predisposition to cancer. The vast majority of cancer cases originate from the combined effect of hereditary as well as external influences, such as environmental and lifestyle factors.
An inherited genetic defect is not necessarily passed on to all members of the same family, and not everyone who receives the same defective gene will develop cancer.
A genetic disposition to cancer can be identified by the onset of cancer occurring at a very young age or that many closely related members of the same family suffer from the same type of cancer.
- Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women.
- It is good to find out about one’s inherited breast cancer predisposition if
- At least three of four relatives from the same side of the family have had breast or ovarian cancer
- A close relative had cancer at a young age
- There has been both breast and ovarian cancer in the same family
- A man in one’s family has had breast cancer.