Cancer begins when genetic changes interfere with the orderly process of your cells that start to grow uncontrollably, forming a tumor. A tumor can be non-cancerous or benign, and does not spread to other body organs. Benign tumor can grow big enough to press against the nearby body organs. On the other hand, malignant cancer can grow and spread to other body parts. When the cancerous tumor grows, the bloodstream or lymphatic system may carry cancer cells to other body parts, spreading cancer to other body organs. Cancer continues to grow and spread by direct extension, or through a process called metastasis.
When you have cancer, abnormal cells develop and destroy healthy tissue cells. Some cancers spread quickly while others slowly. Each kind starts in a different part of your body, and has its own symptoms. However, some types of tumors, such as leukemia (cancer of the blood) and most types of myeloma and lymphoma (cancer of the immune system) cancers are non-cancerous. Risk factors of cancer include exposure to cancer-causing chemicals called carcinogens, exposure to radiation, smoking, lifestyle choices, and certain viruses, such as HPV or human papilloma virus.
Following are the broad categories of cancers, which are categorized as per their location to begin.
Carcinomas: It begins in the skin or tissue that covers the surface of internal organs and glands.
Sarcomas: It beings in the tissue that supports and connects the body, such as muscles, nerves, joints, blood vessels, etc.
Leukemia: It is a cancer of the blood that begins when healthy blood cells change and grow uncontrollably.
Lymphomas: This cancer begins in the lymphatic system, which is a network of vessels and glands that help fight infection.
Cancer risk tends to increase with age. Some health conditions, such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease may also increase your risk of cancer.
Common types of cancers and their symptoms
Non-melanoma skin cancer: It is the most common form of cancer. Symptoms include sores that don’t heal, raised scaly red patches, and sores or growths that bleed.
Breast cancer: A new lump of mass in your breast or armpit develops. Most are painless but some are painful. Symptoms include swelling in the breast, irritation and scaling in the skin of your breast, pain in the breast or nipple, and nipple discharges.
Prostate cancer: It occurs in the male sex organ. Symptoms include problems urinating, needing to pee often, trouble getting or keeping an erection, blood in the urine, and pressure or pain in the rectum.
Lung cancer: This type of cancer affects your lungs. Symptoms include a persistent cough, wheezing or shortness of breath, constant pain in the chest, losing weight, and frequent headaches.
Other forms of cancers include colon cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid cancer, and liver cancer.
Many people with cancer may not know about it. It is sometimes found during a screening test of a healthy person, or when it is detected during the diagnosis of another issue or condition. Cessation of tobacco consumption, smoking, eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, and staying protected from sun, and getting vaccinated against viral infections can help in protecting you from cancer.
Different types of cancer treatments are available. These include:
Surgery: Cancerous cells are removed surgically to the extent possible.
Chemotherapy: Medications are used to kill rapidly-dividing cancer cells.
Bone marrow transplant: Diseased bone marrow is repaired with healthy stem cells. The doctor may use higher doses of chemotherapy to treat cancer.
Radiation therapy: A powerful, focused beam of radiation is used to kill cancerous cells.
Immunotherapy: This biological therapy uses antibodies to help your immune system recognize cancer so that it can fight it off.
Today, more people diagnosed with cancer are living longer. However, it is important to start its diagnosis and treatment early. Moreover, having health insurance will help you in affording the treatment costs of your cancer and other diseases. If you are uncertain how to get health insurance, or which one would be the best one for you, PrudentRx program is a rich source of all information related to health insurances that you can rely upon.