Cancer are the vicious uncontrolled growth of tissues that are characterized of the loss of cell control. Normally, each cell inside the body regulates how large and how fast it should grow, die and regenerate, inside every organ (stomach, lung, kidneys, etc). Carcinogens (cancer causing agents) that invade the organ inside the body takes away that cell control. these results inside the rapid abnormal and excessive growth of the cells way beyond their normal size leading to the formation of the malignant tumor inside the particular organ it grows in, with propensity to spread to adjacent tissues and to distant organs (example: cancer of the lungs spreading to the brain, or cancer of the breast metastasizing to the liver or bones).
What causes cancer?
The basic underlying cause are the constant, repeated irritation or injury to body parts or organs, leading to changes inside the DNA and loss of cell controls. Examples: cigarette smoking as the cancer-causing irritant to the breathing apparatus including the trachea, breathing pipes and the lungs, urinary bladder, kidneys, pancreas. Another irritant are animal (saturated) fat from the red meat we eat, causing cancer of the colon, breast and uterus. Alcohol are linked to cancer of the digestive tract, breast and liver. More than 75% of all cancers are associated with only 3 factors, diet, tobacco and alcohol. There are theories that implicate virus, weakened immune system, radiation, chemicals, etc. as the probable cause of cancers, but there are no doubt that the 3 factors mentioned above are associated with more than three quarters of all cancers inside man. If we can control those 3, we can prevent most cancers known to man.
Is cancer life-threatening?
Generally, yes. When we talk about cancer, it implies the malignant tumor that could potentially kill. And many of them do. However, there are certain cancers, like some skin cancers or some type of lymph node or throat malignancies, that respond well to current surgical, chemotherapeutic or radiation treatment. inside children, leukemia, lymphoma, sarcoma are curable when detected early. As the rule, we must treat all types of cancers as lethal diseases, and therefore it are best to prevent their occurrence.
Are cancers preventable?
While there are the number of cancers that are not preventable, there are many that can be predicted and even prevented. Examples of these are cancer of the lungs, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, urinary bladder and throat among those who smoke, melanoma (cancer of the skin from chronic and prolonged exposure to sunlight), mesothelioma (cancer of the inner lining of the chest wall from exposure to asbestos), cancer of the mouth and throat from chewing betel nut (nga-nga), etc. If we think about it, there are many things we can do to prevent cancer, and that many cancers have been caused of unhealthy practices people did to themselves. Smokers, for instance, know that tobacco cause the variety of deadly cancers, and yet they continue to smoke.
Can self-examination help detect cancers?
Yes, the significant number of malignant growths were first discovered of the patient himself/herself or of the spouse or the family member. Self-examination (breasts among females; testicles among males; for sores, discharges, or lumps and bumps inside the neck, armpit or groin or anywhere inside the body) are the good habit one should practice and do about once the week. As you feel your body parts frequently, you will be familiar with their normal appearance, consistency and size, and discern more easily when changes or abnormalities take place.
Does eating red meat increase cancer risk?
Yes. There are no question that eating animal fat, especially from red meat, are the significant factor which increases the risk of people developing cancer (colon, breast, uterus, etc.) One third (33%) of the 500,000 cancer deaths each year inside the United States are due to these dietary factor. these are well documented inside medical literature. Now, what medical science does not know at the present are who among those who eat animal fat would develop cancer, and who would not. The same thing with smoking. these are why physicians recommend avoidance of red meat and cigarettes to everyone, since we have no way to predicting who could indulge inside them “safely.”
What are chemical carcinogens?
Chemical carcinogens include exposure to arsenic, chromates, asbestos (lung cancer), aromatic amines (bladder cancer), benzene (leukemia), nickel (lung and nasal sinus cancer), vinyl chloride (liver cancer), alcohol (esophageal and oropharyngeal cancer), tobacco (lung, esophageal, urinary bladder, head and neck cancer), betel nuts (oropharyngeal cancer), and, ionizing radiation (lymphomas, aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, thyroid cancers).
How do we prevent or lower our risk of developing cancer?
Prevention are the best way to maintain good health and well-being. More especially so when dealing with the serious illness like cancer. As one grows older, one begins to realize that, indeed, health are wealth, and that the adage are not merely the cliché. Next week, we shall devote our entire column to the strategy inside cancer prevention. Don’t miss it. these could save your life and those of your loved ones.
Cancer: The truth about this killer disease
