Prevention of Cancer

Creator: Dr. Shikha Sharma
Published: 2022-12-20T18:15:04

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Cancer is a group of diseases in which abnormal cells divide rapidly and spread to other tissues. Read on to know about the prevention of developing cancer.

Written by

Dr. Shikha Sharma

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Rajesh Gulati

December 20, 2022

June 22, 2023

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Contents

What Is Cancer?
What Are the Symptoms of Cancer?
What Are the Causes of Cancer?
What Are the Stages of Cancer?
What Are the Complications of Cancer and Its Treatment?
How to Prevent Cancer?
How to Treat Cancer?

Introduction:

Cancer is the most common disease that affects every part of the body. About 39.5 % of people are diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life. Cancer occurs when the genes stop controlling the way the cell divides. As a result, they grow and form abnormal cells. It is potentially fatal and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Signs of cancer involve unexplained weight loss, chronic tiredness, persistent pain, fever, skin changes, unusual lump, hoarseness, and difficulty swallowing. Early detection of cancer helps to treat it more effectively.

What Is Cancer?

Cancer is a common disease associated with the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and can destroy normal body tissues. Cancer often spreads throughout the body parts. The spread of cancer from one part to the other is known as metastasis. It is the second most leading cause of death in the world.

What Are the Symptoms of Cancer?

The symptoms of cancer are as follows:

Fatigue.
Sudden weight gain or loss.
Area or lump of thickening that can be felt under the skin.
Skin changes such as darkening or yellowing of the skin.
Trouble breathing or persistent coughing.
Fever.
Presence of sores that do not heal.
Difficulty swallowing.
Hoarseness.
Loss of appetite.
Unexplained muscle or joint pain.
Unexplained night sweats or fever.
Unexplained bruising and bleeding.

What Are the Causes of Cancer?

Cancer is caused by specific changes in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Many factors contribute to the development of cancer in the body, such as :

Tobacco products and smoking is the leading cause of oral, lung, esophageal, and laryngeal cancer.
Eating high-sugar and high-fat food in an unhealthy lifestyle increases the risk for many cancers.
Environmental toxins such as pesticides, radon, and asbestos can eventually cause cancer.
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can increase the risk of skin cancer.
Women on hormone replacement therapy have an increased risk of developing uterus and breast cancer.

What Are the Stages of Cancer?

The various stages of cancer are:

Stage 1: Cancer is localized to a small area and does not spread to lymph nodes or other tissues.
Stage 2: Cancer grows but does not spread to other body parts.
Stage 3: Cancer grows larger and spreads to lymph nodes or other tissues.
Stage 4: Cancer spreads to other parts of the body, and the stage is referred to as advanced or metastatic cancer.

What Are the Complications of Cancer and Its Treatment?

The treatment of cancer involves various complications such as :

Pain: May be caused by cancer treatment or cancer itself. Medication and other multiple approaches can treat cancer-related pain.
Fatigue: It is a common complication that can be managed. Fatigue associated with radiation or chemotherapy is very common.
Difficulty Breathing: Cancer treatment may lead to shortness of breath.
Nausea: May be caused by cancer treatment or cancer itself. Medication and other various approaches can treat cancer-related nausea.
Diarrhea or Constipation: Occurs due to cancer-related treatment that affects bowel movements.
Weight Loss: Cancer-related treatment often leads to weight loss as the cancer cells disrupt the normal cells and deprives nutrients.
Chemical Changes in the Body: Cancer disrupts the chemical balance in the body and increases the risk of serious complications. Symptoms and signs of chemical imbalances include frequent urination, constipation, excessive thirst, and confusion.
Brain and Nervous System Problems: Cancer can press on nerves and cause loss of functions in one or more parts of the body. Cancer associated with the brain can cause stroke-like symptoms and headaches.
Unusual Immune System Reactions to Cancer: In some cases, the immune system of the body may react vigorously to the presence of cancer attacking healthy cells.
Cancer That Spreads: As cancer spreads to the other parts of the body. The spread of cancer depends upon the type of cancer.
Cancer That Returns: The recurrence of cancer is a risk in cancer survivors.

How to Prevent Cancer?

The ways to prevent cancer are as follows:

Stop Smoking: Smoking should be quit as it is linked to several types of cancer. In addition, stopping will reduce the risk of cancer in the future.
Avoid Excessive Sun Exposure: Harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can increase the risk of skin cancer. Therefore, sun exposure should be limited by staying in the shade, applying sunscreen, and wearing protective clothing.
Eat a Healthy Diet: A diet rich in vegetables and fruits should be consumed. Intake of lean proteins and whole grains is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise: Regular exercising is linked to lowering the risk of cancer. Thirty minutes of exercise every day keeps the person fit.
Maintain Healthy Weight: Being obese or overweight may increase the risk of cancer.

How to Treat Cancer?

The treatment of cancer includes the following ways, such as:

Chemotherapy: It is one of the common cancer treatments that uses powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells and can be done intravenously (IV) or in pill form.
Radiation Therapy: Kills the cancer-causing cells with a high dosage of radiation.
Surgery: It is often attempted to remove the tumor surgically.
Hormone Therapy: Sometimes, the hormones can also block other cancer-causing hormones. For example, men suffering from prostate cancer can be given hormones to keep testosterone at bay.
Biological Response Modifier Therapy: Helps to stimulate the immune system and helps to perform effectively.
Immunotherapy: Often called biological therapy, treats disease by using the power of the body’s immune system and targets cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact.
Bone Marrow Transplant: Also known as transplantation and replaces the damaged cells with healthy cells.

Conclusion:

Cancer is not one disease but a series of diseases. There are more than 200 different types of cancers. Treatment of cancer depends upon the disease's symptoms, type, and advancement. Most treatment plans involve surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Risk factors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and catching certain viruses contribute to cancer development. Screening of cancer helps to detect it at an early stage. The treatment plan for people diagnosed with cancer depends upon the type and stage of cancer.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Is Included in the Cancer Prevention Diet?

Choosing the right diet can help prevent cancer risks. The elements that slow down or prevent the growth of tumors include phytates and protease inhibitors. Manganese protects the cells from damage by enzyme formation. Ingest a diet with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. Add legumes, soy, beans, and lentils as the primary part of the daily diet. Moreover, lowers the cancer risk by adding more antioxidants.

2. How to Prevent Cancer?

The most effective ways include:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Ingest a well-balanced diet with the major elements of soy, beans, lentils, and legumes.
- Avoid tobacco and smoking if one does.
- Eat more greens and plants.
- Exercise regularly.
- Protect the skin.
- Avoid alcohol intake if one takes it.

3. Does Cancer Have a Cure?

There are several forms of cancer occurring at different sites, all of which show distinct forms of metastasis. Whether the cancer is curable or not depends upon the type and stage of the cancer. Other factors, including the type of intervention, can determine if the cancer is curable. Each cancer requires a different approach that incorporates a combination of treatments.

4. Can Stage Four Cancer Be Cured?

Stage four cancer generally cannot be cured since it shows that cancer has spread throughout the body, affecting the vital organs. Also, complete removal of cancer has fewer possibilities. The intervention for stage four cancer aims to expand the survival rate and improve one’s quality of life. The treatment options include chemotherapy, immunotherapies, surgery, targeted therapies, and palliative care.

5. How Does Cancer Begin?

Cancer results when the normal cells become tumor cells, or they divide uncontrollably, spreading to the surrounding tissue. Cancer generally begins with a single cell or group of cells in the system. So, they begin when genes mutate and produce cancer cells. However, every cancer begins in the functional unit called cells.

6. Which Type of Cancer Kills Faster?

Faster or slower-killing cancers depend on their survival rate. So, the fastest-killing cancer is said to be the cancer with the worst five-year survival rate. As per this, it could be a tie result between malignant mesothelioma and pancreatic cancer. The other fastest-killing cancers include gallbladder, esophageal, lung, and bronchial cancers.

7. Which Type of Cancer Spreads Faster?

The faster-spreading cancers are determined according to the rate of speed of metastasizing to the surrounding tissues. The cancers that spread at faster rates are brain, pancreatic, esophageal, skin, and liver cancers. Pancreatic cancer is the most serious cancer since it spreads faster and there is no way of early detection.

8. Which Cancers Are the Slowest Ones?

Prostate and carcinoid tumors are considered slow-growing cancers, carcinoid tumor is a rare and slow type of cancer that occurs with the organs surrounding the digestive tract. It is known for cancer in slow motion. People having carcinoid tumors may not know it for several years.

9. Which Cancer Can Lead To Death?

Cancer is considered a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for about 10 million deaths in 2010. Not every cancer leads to death. The cancers that cause death include breast, lung, colorectal, pancreatic, melanoma, liver, and others. Pancreatic is the third most common cancer death, while colorectal cancer is the second most common type.

10. Which Cancers Make It Harder to Survive?

There are many ways to prevent cancer and its risks.

The cancers that spread faster and have the lowest survival rate of five years are the ones that make it much harder to survive.

The deadliest forms of cancer include the following.
- Pancreatic cancer.
- Gallbladder cancer.
- Mesothelioma.
- Esophageal cancer.
- Liver and intrahepatic bile cancer.
- Lung and bronchial cancer.
- Pleural cancer.
- Acute monocytic leukemia.

11. Can Chemo Lead To Death?

Chemotherapy for cancer treatment considers various determinants such as height, weight, health condition, underlying medical illness, kidney function, and liver function. Death is less likely to occur following chemotherapy. The clinical findings say that few cancer patients died after receiving chemotherapy. The survival rate is about 98.1% for the individuals who received chemo after five years of intervention.

12. Can One Survive Most Cancers?

The survival rate and cancer statistics determine how long an individual could survive. In that case, cancer statistics use the overall five-year survival rate. So, survival rates are expressed in percentages. Also, the survival rate differs between the distinct forms of cancer, ranging from 1 % for pancreatic cancer to 98 % for testicular cancer.

13. Is Chemotherapy Painful?

Chemotherapy is a drug-based intervention prescribed primarily for cancers. They are commonly administered intravenously (IV) but are recommended as injections and oral tablets. Chemotherapy is not painful but can cause discomfort or a burning sensation. Pain can be accompanied by chemotherapy as side effects from nerve damage or other issues.

14. Can One Completely Recover From Chemo?

Chemotherapy is an effective drug-based intervention recommended for cancer conditions. One can expect a normal life with chemotherapy, but it takes time to return or recover to the life it was before the cancer diagnosis. One might have permanent scars on the body or be less likely to do certain things that one did before. Addedly, certain people might have emotional scars that require psychotherapy to recover.

15. Is the Damage From Chemo Permanent?

Chemotherapy is one of the primary intervention options recommended for cancer treatment. Though it helps a person recover, it can induce certain side effects. Chemotherapy causing long-term damage to vital organs can last a lifetime. Also, certain forms of chemo could cause delayed side effects, including second cancer that could present after many years.

Sources

Dr. Rajesh Gulati

Family Physician

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