Cancer

Overview

Cancer is a condition where cells in the body grow and multiply abnormally, disrupting the immune system and making it vulnerable to infection and diseases.

This disease is caused by various factors such as genetic mutations, environmental factors, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Different types of cancers are named after the location where they are found or occur. Accordingly, the symptoms also differ from each other. The diagnosis of cancer includes imaging tests, physical examinations, and biopsy.

Common treatment options for cancer include chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, and surgery in fatal cases. Taking preventive measures such as regular exercising, dieting, and limiting the consumption of alcohol and tobacco mitigates the risk factors of cancer, improving the quality of life.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a disease characterised by the uncontrollable growth and division of a body's cells. This abnormal growth of cells can cause the formation of tumours, which eventually spread to nearby tissues or other body parts (metastasis). This condition can develop in any part of the body, showing different symptoms depending on their location. The types of cancers are named after the location in which they develop.

Types of Cancer

There are more than 200 cancer types, each of which is named according to the part of the body it first originates, or the fluid or tissue type from which it develops.
The following are the most common types of cancer:

Carcinoma

It is a cancer type found in cells covering the skin or the epithelial tissue lining internal organs such as the kidneys or liver. Accounting for 80% to 90% of global cancer diagnoses, carcinoma is the most common form of cancer. The cancer cells grow and multiply, forming tumours or solid masses on the skin or across the breasts, pancreas, colon and kidneys. It has 3 stages namely:

Carcinoma in Situ: The cancer cells have not spread to other body parts

Invasive Carcinoma: It has spread to tissues close to where carcinoma first originated

Metastatic Carcinoma: The disease has spread to body parts such as neck, breasts, kidneys, lungs and pancreas

The common subtypes of carcinoma include adenocarcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, ductal carcinoma in situ, squamous cell carcinoma, and invasive ductal carcinoma.

Leukaemia

Also known as blood cancer, leukaemia is a cancer type that starts in the blood-forming tissues, including the lymphatic system and bone marrow. It causes the bone marrow to produce excessive amounts of abnormal white blood cells, leading to a decrease in the production of red blood cells and platelets.

As a result, fewer red blood cells, platelets and healthy white blood cells are released into the blood, providing insufficient oxygen to the body’s tissues and organs. This further keeps your body from fighting infections, increasing mortality. The 4 main common types of leukaemia include acute lymphoma leukaemia, chronic lymphoma leukaemia, acute myelogenous leukaemia, and chronic myelogenous leukaemia.

Sarcoma

It is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the bones and the connective tissues. Connective tissue sarcoma originates in the tissues that support, surround and connect other body structures. The tumour grows in cartilage, muscle, tendons, bones, blood vessels and fat, leaving the body more vulnerable to increased mortality rates.
It affects both children and adults, with bone sarcoma being more common in children, teens and individuals above the age of 65. The mutations in the DNA of the soft tissue or bone cells cause them to gradually develop into cancer cells that multiply abnormally and spread .

The cancer travels through an individual’s lymphatic system or bloodstream if left untreated. This metastasised cancer invades nearby health issues. Common types of sarcoma include soft tissue sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and Ewing’s sarcoma.

Lymphoma

This is a cancer of the lymphatic system, a part of the body which fights against germs and diseases. The disease occurs when a lymphocyte, disease-fighting cell has mutated DNA. It can be indolent (slow-growing) or aggressive (fast-growing) depending on factors such as a weakened immune system, specific infections, age and family history.

It is also considered a form of blood cancer since the disease starts in the lymphocytes (white blood cells) in one’s lymphatic system. Lymphoma is classified into two main categories including Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The other subtypes include chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, and Waldenstorm macroglobulinemia.

Myeloma

Myeloma, also known as plasma cell myeloma or multiple myeloma is a blood cancer affecting the plasma cells of bone marrow. These cells are a white blood cell type that produces antibodies, essential to protect the immune system from germs and diseases.

The myeloma cells collect in many bones, preventing the regulated production of plasma cells leading to the formation of bone tumours. These tumours, in turn, leave the immune system vulnerable due to the decreased production of plasma cells.

In rare cases, the cancer cells collect in one bone and form a single mass or tumour, known to be a plasmacytoma. These abnormal cells interfere with healthy white and red blood cell production and produce substances that cause bone damage.

Symptoms of Cancer

Symptoms for different types of cancer include the following:

Cancer symptoms depend on the location and type of the tumour. Following are some common symptoms that are associated with prevalent cancer types:

Breast Cancer: Symptoms may include dimpling or puckering of breasts; lumps in breasts; thickening in the underarm area; red or scaly around breast areas; inverted nipples; nipple discharge (milky or bloody); and nipple pain.

Lung Cancer: People may experience pain in the chest or ribs; chronic or dry cough with phlegm or blood in it; loss of appetite; fatigue; swollen lymph nodes; weight loss; and shortness of breath.

Prostate Cancer: One may have difficulty in urinating, including holding back, leaking or uninterrupted flow; pain during urination; blood in the urine or ejaculation fluid; decrease or pain in the amount of fluid ejaculated; pain or pressure in the rectum; trouble keeping or getting an erection; and frequent urge to pee.

Melanoma: Common symptoms include having an asymmetrical mole or mark on the skin with uneven edges; a freckle or mole in black or brown shade; a mole in red, white or blue shade; and an enlarged mole that grows quickly or changes colour. One may also have a bleeding, itching or crusting mole.

Colon and Rectal Cancers: Symptoms may initially include exhaustion and weakness, diarrhoea, constipation and stomach and gut pain. They can worsen and cause blood in stool, pressure in the abdomen or rectum and the constant need for a bowel movement.

Blood Cancer: Individuals experience weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, fever, chills, height sweats, bone pain and nosebleeds. One may also notice tiny red spots on the skin. Additionally, complicated symptoms may involve an enlarged liver and dilated spleen that feels like a tumour under the ribs on the right and left side respectively.

Kidney Cancer: Common symptoms include exhaustion, abrupt lower back pain, weight loss, fever and chills, anaemia, decreased appetite and blood in urine.

Liver Cancer: Individuals may have fever, decreased appetite, nausea, pain in the abdomen, an enlarged spleen and weight loss. Other symptoms include constipation, pain in the gut or near the shoulder blade, lightheadedness and enlarged veins in the belly.

Pancreatic Cancer: Itchy skin, diabetes, depression, fever, jaundice, fatigue, loss of appetite, lake stools and dark urine are the common symptoms. One may also experience pain in the upper abdomen or back.

Causes of Cancer

Usually, cancers occur due to genetic mutations that can lead to uncontrolled growth of cells. Studies have found that certain factors, such as environmental, genetic or constitutional characteristics of an individual, can lead to these mutations. Researches show that the survival rate for adult cancers is 68% while for cancer developing in children is about 80%.
Reasons for the difference in survival rates may be due to a child's high tolerance levels for more aggressive therapy. A sporadic cell mutation of change is the primary cause of childhood cancer, which occurs in the stem cells. Adult cancers, on the other hand, occur in epithelial cells, which line the body cavity and cover the surface of the body. The disease also occurs from a family history of environmental exposures to the cancerous cells over time.

Risk Factors of Cancer

The following are the factors that are known to increase the risk of developing cancer:

Age: Cancer may develop at a certain age, specifically at 65 or older. However, it is not an age-inclusive disease, implying that individuals of any age can be diagnosed with the disease.

Lifestyle Choices: Certain lifestyle choices, such as smoking and drinking frequently, can increase the chances of developing cancer. Also, frequent exposure to the sun, being obese, having blistering sunburns, or being involved in unsafe sex raises the risk of cancer.

Health Conditions: Having chronic health conditions such as ulcerative colitis or respiratory issues increases the risk of developing cancer.

Environment: In an environment where you are inhaling secondhand smoke, your health is being impacted negatively by harmful chemicals. Additionally, harmful chemicals in the workplace or home, including benzene and asbestos, increase the risk of developing cancer.

Family History: If a family member is diagnosed with cancer, mutations may pass down through generations. Contact a healthcare professional to determine if you have inherited mutations that may increase the risk of cancers.

Complications of Cancer

Cancer complications may include chemical imbalances including constipation, frequent urination and confusion, nausea, diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, persistent pain and unexplainable weight loss. Individuals may also have a weakened immune system, loss of function of body parts, and cancer recurrence.

Diagnosis for Cancer

The following approaches may be used by a doctor to diagnose cancer:

Physical Exam: A Healthcare professional may ask you about your medical history, and feel areas of your body for thickening or lumps that may indicate the disease. During the process, the professional may look for abnormalities that indicate cancer, including changes in skin colour or enlargement of an organ.

Imaging Tests: This enables a doctor to examine internal organs and bones in a non-invasive way. These may include a bone scan, X-ray, computerised tomography (CT) scan, positron emission tomography (PET) scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound.

Laboratory Tests: Urine or blood tests help a healthcare professional determine the abnormalities that may result from a certain cancer type. For example, for an individual suffering from blood cancer, a blood test may determine the unusual growth of white blood cells.

Biopsy: A sample of cells is collected from a tumour for testing in a laboratory. It is then observed under a microscope to determine the cancer stage.

Treatment for Cancer

Your doctor may recommend some of the following cancer treatment options if you are diagnosed with the disease:

Chemotherapy: Drug treatment using powerful chemicals helps stop the growth of cancer cells in the body.

Biomarker Testing for Cancer Treatment: It is a laboratory procedure that analyses a sample of tissue, blood or other body fluid to look for genes, proteins or other molecules that indicate cancer.

Hormone Therapy: It slows the progression or stops the growth of prostate and breast cancers that spread under the influence of hormones.

Immunotherapy: It stimulates the body's immune system, rejuvenating its natural ability to fight diseases.

Hyperthermia: Here, body tissue is extracted and heated to a high temperature of 113 degrees Fahrenheit, damaging and killing cancer cells with limited harm to normal tissue.

Radiation Therapy: It involves the use of high doses of ionising radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours.

Photodynamic Therapy: This treatment uses light and light-sensitive drugs to kill cancer or other abnormal cells in the body.

Surgery: Once the size of tumours decreases due to radiation therapy, the surgeon removes them from an individual's body.

Stem Cell Transplant: Here, the doctor replaces a patient's damaged stem cells with healthy ones.

Preventive Measures for Cancer

Here are some of the preventive measures that can help reduce the risk of cancer development:

• Quit smoking
• Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, lean proteins, whole grains and vegetables
• Avoid excessive exposure to the sun by wearing shades and applying sunscreen
• Regularly exercise for at least 30 minutes a day
• Maintain a healthy weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise
• Limit the consumption of alcohol
• Schedule regular cancer screening tests
• Consult with your doctor about immunisations