Cancer is a serious disease that occurs in the body. These abnormal cells multiply uncontrollably and eventually become a tumor. The exact cause of cancer is still unknown to scientists. However, it is believed that various agents such as chemicals, radiation, and viruses can cause cancer to develop. This is why early detection of cancer is critical in treating cancer.
Modern research has required a revolution in biological research techniques to understand the underlying causes of cancer. The advancement of these techniques has led to a better understanding of the cancer process and the possible prevention and detection methods. These new techniques enable scientists to target prevention and detection efforts at the specific genes that cause cancer. In addition, modern research has helped to clarify that cancer does not happen all at once, but rather develops from a series of genetic changes that cause precancerous cells to develop abnormal traits.
The most common type of cancer is non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which affects young people between the ages of 12 and 30. The disease typically causes a rapidly growing tumor in the abdomen. Cancer is a group of more than one hundred diseases in the body in which abnormal cells divide without control and invade neighboring tissues. The cancer cells can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system.
People of all ages have some risk of developing cancer. Researchers use the term “lifetime risk” to describe the probability of developing the disease over a lifetime. Generally, men and women have a one-in-three lifetime risk of developing cancer. This risk increases with age. In addition, some people have an increased risk of cancer due to certain lifestyle habits. These include smoking, drinking, and excessive sun exposure.
A cancer cell’s genes show several distinctive characteristics, which distinguish it from a normal cell. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells are genetically unstable, prone to duplications, deletions, and rearrangements of chromosomes. This leads to the formation of new tumors. This process is known as metastasis.
Chemotherapy involves the use of anti-cancer medicines to destroy cancer cells. These medicines may be given orally, in the form of pills or injections. However, they are most often given through an intravenous (IV) line that is placed through the skin. The medicines travel through the bloodstream to attack cancer cells.
Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Normal cells naturally grow and die in the body, but cancer cells do not die at the right time and group together. They eventually form a mass of tissue. It can cause damage to healthy tissues and normal cells around it. When cancer cells are in a large mass, the body can no longer cope with the growth.
Cancer is a complex disease with over 200 different types. Treatments are based on the type of cancer cells in the body. The immune system, which contains lymph glands and vessels, helps fight disease and repair the body’s tissues. Patients can also participate in clinical trials to test new treatments. These trials can help the patient to access the latest treatments and sometimes, patients can receive these treatments for free.