Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start –for example breast, colon, lung, bladder, thyroid, pancreatic, skin and leukemia.
Number of people affected:
Nearly 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year.
Who gets it:
The most important risk factor for cancer is growing older. Most cancers occur in people over the age of 65.
Types:
Cancer types can be grouped into broader categories. The main categories of cancer include:
- Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
- Sarcoma - cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
- Leukemia - cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
- Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.
- Central nervous system cancers - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.
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Cancer can cause many different symptoms, which vary depending on the type of cancer. Some symptoms include:
- A thickening or lump in the breast, testicles or any other part of the body
- A new mole or a change in an existing mole
- A sore that does not heal
- Hoarseness or a cough that does not go away
- Blood in the urine or stool
- Changes in bowel or bladder habits
- Indigestion or discomfort after eating
- A hard time swallowing
- Weight gain or loss with no known reason
- Unusual prolonged bleeding, discharge or bruising
- Abdominal pain
- Swelling in the lymph nodes
- Persistent fever
- Feeling weak or very tired
Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer. They may also be caused by benign tumors or other problems. Only a doctor can tell for sure.
Anyone with these symptoms or other changes in health should see a doctor to diagnose and treat problems as early as possible. Usually, early cancer does not cause pain. If you have symptoms, do not wait to feel pain before seeing a doctor.
If your elderly parent has a symptom or a screening test result suggests cancer, the doctor must find out whether it is due to cancer or to some other cause. Not all tumors are cancerous; tumors can be benign or malignant.
Benign tumors aren't cancerous. They can often be removed, and, in most cases, they do not come back. Cells in benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.
Malignant tumors are cancerous. Cells in these tumors can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis.
There are three main ways that doctors test for cancer:
- Lab Tests: Tests of the blood, urine, or other fluids can help doctors make a diagnosis. These tests can show how well an organ (such as the kidney) is doing its job. Also, high amounts of some substances may be a sign of cancer. These substances are often called tumor markers.
- Imaging Procedures: Imaging creates pictures of areas inside your body that help the doctor see whether a tumor is present. These pictures can be made in several ways: X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound, MRI, PET scan, radionuclide scan.
- Biopsy: In most cases, doctors need to do a biopsy to make a diagnosis of cancer. For a biopsy, the doctor removes a sample of tissue and sends it to a lab. A pathologist looks at the tissue under a microscope.
Treatment
The treatment plan depends mainly on the type of cancer and the stage: how far the disease has progressed or spread through the body. Doctors also consider the patient's age and general health. Often, the goal of treatment is to cure the cancer. In other cases, the goal is to control the disease or to reduce symptoms for as long as possible.
The treatment plan may change over time. Most treatment plans include:
Surgery: The surgeon removes the tumor and some tissue around it.
Radiation Therapy: (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy: the use of drugs that kill cancer cells. Most patients receive chemotherapy by mouth or through a vein. Either way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can affect cancer cells all over the body.
Hormone Therapy: Some cancers need hormones to grow. Hormone therapy keeps cancer cells from getting or using the hormones they need. It is systemic therapy.
Stem cell transplant: Stem cell transplantation may be used so that a patient can receive very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Some cancers respond best to a single type of treatment. Others may respond best to a combination of treatments.
Doctors often cannot explain why one person develops cancer and another does not. But research shows that certain risk factors increase the chance that a person will develop cancer. These are the most common risk factors for cancer:
- Growing older
- Family history of cancer
- Tobacco
- Sunlight
- Certain chemicals and other substances
- Some viruses and bacteria
- Certain hormones
- Alcohol
- Poor diet, lack of physical activity, or being overweight
The most important risk factor for cancer is growing older. Most cancers occur in people over the age of 65.
The role of a caregiver changes as the cancer progresses or treatments change. As the caregiver you can help the patient deal with these challenges and get through any problems that may come up.
You can prioritize and manage problems best by first understanding the problem that needs to be solved, as well as the desired result. Caregivers who are realistic, but positive; careful, but creative; and focused, but flexible are sources of strength and security for cancer patients.
For example, suppose the patient's white blood counts drop, she develops a fever, and as a result, must be admitted to the hospital.
The caregiver is part of a health care team made up of the patient, other family and friends, and the medical staff. As a caregiver, you may find yourself working closely with the health care team, giving drugs, managing side effects, reporting problems, trying to keep loved ones informed of what's happening, and helping to decide whether a treatment is working.
As part of the team, the caregiver helps to coordinate the patient's care. Caregivers often have to keep track of prescriptions, know which tests are to be done, and make sure all involved doctors know what is going on. They often find themselves preventing mix-ups and keeping track of paperwork.