Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S.

Cancer shows following symptoms or danger signals :
1. Presence of persistent lump in breast or other body parts.
2. Any change in bladder or bowel habits.
3. A wound that does not heal or shows constant bleeding.
4. Persistent indigestion.
5. Unexpected loss of weight.
6. Obvious changes in the wart or mole.
7. Persistent cough and chronic hoarseness in the voice.
8. Unusual bleeding through urine or during menses or unusual discharge from vagina.
Stages of cancer : The international union against cancer ( UICC ) has evolved the ‘TNM’ classification of cancer.

T – represents primary tumour size.
N – represents involvement of lymph nodes.
M – represents metastasis of distant spread.


Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled growth and of certain body tissue, forming a tumor.Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by either the runaway growth of cells or the failure of cells to die normally. Often, cancer cells spread to distant parts of the body, where they can form new tumors. Cancer can arise in any organ of the body.
Types of cancers : On the basis of their locations, cancers are of three types:

a) Carcinomas : These are located in the epithelial tissues, e.g. breast cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, skin cancer, pancreas cancer etc.

b) Sarcomas : These are located in the connective and muscular tissues derived from the mesoderm, e.g., cancers of bone, lymph nodes and muscles.

c) Leukaemia : These are characterized by increasing W. B.C. count and decreasing R.B.C. count.]

Characteristics
Some imp characteristics of cancer are given below:

1. Cancer show uncontrolled mitotic divisions of cells resulting into unorganized growth as compared to normal cells.

2. All tumors are not cancer e.g. benign tumor is non-recurrent and once removed,
does not grow or spread again. Malignant tumor is cancer as it shows recurrent growth and can spread in the body at even later stages. This is called metastasis or secondary growth. However, no tumour is formed in leukemia(blood cancer).

3. Cancer cells do not undergo differentiation.

4. These cells have less survival ability as compared to normal cells.

5. These cells have high invasiveness.

6. These cells can travel from tissues to cause cancerous growth in different parts of the body.

7. These cells destroy cell organization of normal cells.

8. These cells stimulate the growth of blood vessels to supply more nutrients for their own growth.

Cancer is caused by a series of mutations, or alterations, in genes that control cells' ability to grow and divide. Some mutations are inherited; others arise from environmental factors such as smoking or exposure to chemicals, radiation, or viruses that damage cells' DNA. The mutations cause cells to divide relentlessly or lose their normal ability to die.


 

DNA proble analysis is used to detect cancer.
Endoscopy i.e. gastoscopy is used to detect stomach cancer and laparoscopy is used to detect cancer of pelvic region.
Obesity should be avoided to prevent cancer of digestive tract, breast, kidney, uterus and gall bladder.
Fat intake should be reduced to prevent cancer of colon, breast and prostrate.
High fiber content food and diet rich in antioxidant vitamins (vitamin A, C &D) should be taken.
High fiber food regularize the bowel movement, while antioxidant vitamins protect against the effect of free radicals which are the by-product of metabolized oxygen.
All the organisms have inactive cancer causing genes called proto-oncogenes.
Physical agents who can activate inactive cancer genes are excessive heat, ionizing radiation like X-rays, UV-rays, gamma-rays, radioactive isotopes, certain food items which cause continuos abrasion of the linig of the intestinal tracts etc.
Biological agents are oncoviruses which causes cancer. 		 
 

Cancer can be controlled in early stages and the treatment depends
upon the location and spread of cancer. The following treatments are used:

1. Radiation therapy : In this, the effected part of the body is exposed to ionizing radiation like x-rays which kill the cancerous cells. It gives good result in skin, lips, mouth and cervix cancers.

2. Hormonal therapy : In this hormone caused cancer is treated with another hormone which neutralizes carcinogenic hormone. Example : breast cancer can be controlled by testosterone.

3. Surgery : It involves removal of effected parts by operative methods.

4. Chemotherapy : A number of chemicals such as 6-aminopterin, mercaptopurine etc. are known to kill cancerous cell or inhibit DNA synthesis and cell division in cancerous cell. Two anticancer drugs Vincristin and Vinblastin are isolated from the plant Cantharanthas roseus. A new drug called photoferin is discovered in USA to cure throat cancer.

     

2007 Dreamers

Home        About Us