Understanding the Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments of Cancer
Cancer is defined as the abnormal growth of cells that occupy the tissues and spreads all over the body. Cancerous cells obtain nutrients from the blood vessels and spread massively creating tumors that eventually destroys the tissues in the body. It is to be kept in mind that tumors can be both cancerous (malignant) as well as non-cancerous (benign).
When the cells start to multiply faster than the usual rate, then it is considered that the person could be suffering from cancer. There are many patients who deal with cancer and eventually die. Cancer can be of many types and each type originates from the abnormal increase in the number of the cells. Cancer has the ability to spread all over the body, and this process is considered as metastasis.
A damaged DNA is usually the origin of cancerous cells in the body but there are various other causes that may lead to cancer. Cancer is painful; however, it is treatable only when it is diagnosed at an early stage. The stages of cancer play an important role because surgeons who treat cancer first check the severity of the disease and only then say if or not it is possible to treat the patient at that particular stage.
The causes of cancer
Here is a list of causes that not only enhances the risk of cancer but sometimes actually leads to cancer.
- Smoking is the root cause of lung cancer. The chemicals that are present inside the cigarettes enter the body through blood vessels and increase the risk of cancer.
- Workers in the rubber industry are prone to cancer risks because of the use of harsh chemicals.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol is another cause of cancer.
- Exposures to sunrays that have harmful UVA and UVB rays harm the skin. The process of getting the body tan through sunbeds is another main cause of cancer.
- Even prolonged exposure to chemicals that are used to coat furniture can also lead to cancer later on.
- Diesel is also a potential cause of cancer.
- The risk of developing cancer gets higher with the exposure to gamma and X-rays.
Symptoms of cancer
One of the visible symptoms of cancer is an infection in the lungs or even severe bronchitis. A sudden change in bowels is also another important symptom that has been noticed in people suffering from cancer. Blood stools are also noticed in severe cases.
A lack of blood in the body is also a major symptom of cancer. Breast cancers usually have visible symptoms that include a lump in the breast area. A sudden change in the functioning of the bladder accompanied by urinary infections is another important visible symptom of cancer. Frequent urination is also a symptom.
If any of the symptoms are noticed, it is important to get tested without any further delay. This can pave way for timely diagnosis and help treat the condition effectively.
Treatment of cancer
Cancer is a disease that is cured only when diagnosed at the early stages; however, during the advanced stages, a cancer patient has very few chances of being completely cured. However, in general, cancer is treated in many ways such as a patient suffering from cancer has to necessarily undergo a surgery.
Clinical treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc. are the basic treatments associated with cancer. Apart from these, there are many treatments under process to be introduced for determining the stage of cancer and treating it well.