Many forms of cancer are associated with exposure to environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, radiation, alcohol and certain viruses.
Terms
Neoplasia and neoplasm are the scientific designations for cancerous diseases.
Tumor is simply means swelling or lump, either neoplastic, inflammatory or other.
Categories:-
Cancer are classified by the type of cell that resembles the tumor,
(i) Carcinoma :- Malignant tumor that derived from epithelial cells. Which include breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer
(ii) Lymphoma and Leukemia : Malignant tumors derived from blood and bone marrow cells.
(iii) Sarcoma : Malignant tumors derived from connective tissue, or mesenchymal cells.
(iv) Mesothelioma : Tumors derived from mesothelial cells lining the peritoneum and the pleura.
(v) Glioma : Tumors derived from glia, the most common type of brain cells.
(vi) Germinoma : Tumors derived from germ cells, normally folund in testicle and ovary.
(vii) Choriocarcinoma : Malignant tumors derived from the placenta.
Origins of Cancer
: Carcinogenesis, which means the initiation or generation of cancer.
: Proto-oncogenes are the genes which promote cell growth and mitosis.
: Mutation in proto-oncogenes can modify their expression and they become oncogenes and thus cell have higher chance to divide excessively and uncontrollably.
Sign and Symptoms
Cancer symptoms divided into three groups :
(i) Local symptoms: unusual lumps and swelling (tumor), hemorrhage, pain and ulceration.
(ii) Metastasis symptoms(spreading) : enlarged lymph nodes, hepatomegaly, bone pain.
(iii) Systemic symptoms : weight loss, poor appetite and cachexia (wasting), excessive sweating, anemia.
Treatment of Cancer
The choice of treatment depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of disease. Cancer can be treated by,
Chemotherapy:
Treatment by drugs that can destroy cancer cells
Monoclonal antibody therapy:
Immunotherapy is the use of immune mechanisms against tumors.
Radiation therapy
Is use to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors by ionizing radiation.
Hormonal suppression
The growth of cancer cells can be inhibited by providing or blocking certain hormones.
