Cancer Types - Cancer Articles- Cancer Tips-Cancer

About Cancer Types - Cancer Articles- Cancer Tips-Cancer Android App

What is cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by growth to the adjacent tissue through invasion or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (the spread of cancer from its primary sites to other places). Metastasis is defined as the stage in which cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system.

The risk of this disease increases with age, although it may affect people at all ages. There are many types of cancer, but the severity of symptoms may vary and depend on the site and character of the malignancy and if whether or not there is the metastasis. To diagnose the disease usually requires the histologic examination of tissue by a pathologist. The tissue is obtained by biopsy or surgery. Depending on the specific type, location and stage of cancer, most can usually be treated.

Damage to DNA causes the unregulated growth that characterizes cancer, resulting in mutations in genes that encode for proteins controlling cell division. Many mutation occurrences entail the transformation of a normal cell into a malignant cell. These mutations can be caused by chemicals or physical agents called carcinogens, by close exposure to radioactive materials, or by certain viruses that can insert their DNA into the human genome. Germline mutations are passed down to generations.

Once a person is diagnosed with the disease, treatments would usually be a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. With modern research and developments, treatments of the disease are becoming more specific for the type of cancer pathology. There are now a lot of drugs that target specific cancers. If this disease is untreated, it may eventually cause illness and death, though it is not always the case.

Many forms of cancer are linked to a person’s exposure to environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, radiation, alcohol, and certain viruses. Although some of these can be avoided, there is no known method or way to avoid the disease. Public health and vaccination programs also play an important role on a global scale.