Facts about Cancer

Facts about Cancer

The word cancer is used to denote over a hundred various diseases which have certain common features. The cancer takes place due to variation in the structure and function of a cell in a way that the cell divides and multiplies out of control. Subsequently, the cell can invade the neighbor tissues and damage them. The cancerous cells can break away and spread to other areas in the body. The cancer named after the organ or type of cell in which it first begins to grow. The examples are breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer.

 The facts about cancer are very interesting and worth knowing.  A cancer may be in the form of solid tumor or a liquid tumor. A solid tumor takes birth in some organ of body. The liquid tumor starts in the lymphatic system or bone marrow. Lymphatic system carries the fluids throughout the body. Examples of cancer caused by liquid tumors are leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Remember that all the tumors are not cancerous. Benign tumors are not cancerous and they do not invade other cells nor do they come back. On the other hand, malignant tumors are cancerous. They can invade other tissues and cells.

The known medical facts about cancer tell us that there are some prominent cures for cancer. First one is surgery in which tumor is removed, sometimes with surrounding tissues. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer cells or to stop them from growing uncontrollably. Biologic therapy uses immune substances to increase the immunity of the patient to destroy cancer cells. Hormonal therapy controls or ends hormone growth which in turn slows down or stops the growth of cancerous cells. Radiation therapy uses high energy radiation to kill the cancer cells.

Some statistical facts and figures may be discussed in this regard. More than hundred types of cancer exist in the world. 13 per cent of all the worldwide deaths in 2008 were due to cancer. Nearly 70 per cent of total deaths due to cancer occur in the middle income and low income countries. Internationally, five most common cancers that claim men’s lives are lung cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer and esophagus cancer. Five most common women killing cancers are breast cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer. 

The facts about cancer reveal that in many developed countries, lung cancer is the most common type of cancer and in developing countries cervical cancer is the most common type.  In many developing countries, cervical cancer is the most common cancer. The use of tobacco is the greatest cause of cancer under the sun. It is preventable and causes 22 per cent of deaths caused by cancer. Worldwide, nearly 20 percent of cancers are a result of chronic infections; for instance, hepatitis B virus is a reason for lever cancer. More than one third of cancers can be prevented by average use of alcohol, no use of tobacco, being active and using healthy food.

The estimates tell us that nearly half the men and one third women will get cancer in their lifetimes and nearly 25 percent people will die because of cancer. Further estimates expose that in 2015 nine million people will die of cancer. This shows the increased number of cancer stricken people.