If you know the enemy you can fight it better
CANCER
Caner is development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have ability to spread other parts of the body / infilterate and destroy normal body tissue
- What is the reason of Cancer ?
- Does sugar cause cancer?
- Can we prevent Cancer ?
- How can Cancer be detected early ?
- Can cancer be cured?
Cancer can be caused by genetic mutations leading to change of genetic information (DNA) within cells which leads to uncontrolled cell division. Changes of the genes can get triggered by external factors (environment, nutrition, lifestyle, alcohol, smoking etc) and unknown internal (familial and hereditary) factors..
Sugar per se does not cause cancer. However, over-consumption of sugar, particularly added sugars in processed beverages and foods, can contribute to obesity which is an important risk factor for cancer. There is no evidence that consuming sugar makes cancer cells grow faster or cause cancer.
Reduce the individual cancer risk by adopting healthy life style eg
- Stop smoking : If you smoke, try to quit.
- Passive smoking ( through smoke inhalation from a smoker family member or partner) can increase the risk of lung cancer.
- Be More Active. ...
- Eat More Greens (fruits and vegetables).
- Minimal Alcohol Intake.
- Optimal body weight
- Avoid excessive sun exposure for risk reduction for skin cancer
Creating public awareness about different cancers and promoting screening.
Whether a person's cancer can be cured, depends on the type and stage of the cancer, the type of treatment they can get, and other factors. Some cancers are more likely to be cured than others. But each cancer needs to be treated differently.
Cancer can be caused by genetic mutations leading to change of genetic information (DNA) within cells which leads to uncontrolled cell division. Changes of the genes can get triggered by external factors (environment, nutrition, lifestyle, alcohol, smoking etc) and unknown internal (familial and hereditary) factors..
Sugar per se does not cause cancer. However, over-consumption of sugar, particularly added sugars in processed beverages and foods, can contribute to obesity which is an important risk factor for cancer. There is no evidence that consuming sugar makes cancer cells grow faster or cause cancer.
Reduce the individual cancer risk by adopting healthy life style eg
- Stop smoking : If you smoke, try to quit.
- Passive smoking ( through smoke inhalation from a smoker family member or partner) can increase the risk of lung cancer.
- Be More Active. …
- Eat More Greens (fruits and vegetables).
- Minimal Alcohol Intake.
- Optimal body weight
- Avoid excessive sun exposure for risk reduction for skin cancer
Creating public awareness about different cancers and promoting screening.
Whether a person’s cancer can be cured, depends on the type and stage of the cancer, the type of treatment they can get, and other factors. Some cancers are more likely to be cured than others. But each cancer needs to be treated differently.
ONCOLOGY
Oncology is the field of medicine which deals with all benign/ non cancerus and malignant/ cancerous tumours. An oncologist is a doctor who treats cancer and provides medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer.
Traditional or standard chemotherapy works by disrupting the cell cycle. Each time a new cell forms it goes through a series of phases in order to become mature. Traditional chemotherapy drugs target the different phases of the cell cycle. By disrupting or stopping a particular phase, a cancerous cell can no longer mature and divide and ultimately dies.
Chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery (neoadjuvant Chemotherapy) in patient with larger tumors. The goal is to shrink the tumor to a size that makes it easier to remove with surgery.
Chemotherapy side effects depend on the drugs you receive. Common side effects include hair loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and an increased risk of developing an infection. Most of these side effects are reversible.
Some cancers make use of your body’s own hormones to grow and multiply. These cancers are known as ‘hormone dependent’ cancers and include some types of breast, uterine and prostate cancers. Hormone therapy uses drugs to block the body’s own hormones, e.g. testosterone in men and oestrogen in women. By stopping or lowering the amount of hormones the tumor receives, the growth of the cancer can be slowed.
Your immune system is designed to protect your body from threats such as infections, toxins and abnormal cell development (cancer). Your immune system usually prevents cancers from occurring, but sometimes it is not strong enough to combat abnormal cell growth. Immunotherapy drugs boost or improve immunity the way, your own body’s immune system works to fight cancer.
Targeted therapies do not work in the same way as traditional chemotherapy even though they are technically considered to be a form of chemotherapy.
As the name suggests, targeted therapies work by finding a specific target on cancerous cells that they can attack or block to stop the cells from making new cancer cells. If your cancer type is known to have a target, it will be tested at the time of your biopsy or surgery to see if the target is present. Assuming it is, a targeted therapy may form part of your treatment plan. As these drugs have a targeted action to the cancer cell, the damage to normal cells is usually reduced, but this does not mean that targeted therapies are free of side-effects.
Depending on the individual case, other systemic treatment options are available for specific tasks:
Bone-directed therapy: When cancer spreads to the bones, it can weaken them and even lead to the fractures, causing extreme pain. Drugs like bisphosphonates and denosumab can help prevent those problems. Bisphosphonates can strengthen bones that have been weakened by invading cells and reduce the risk of pain, fractures, breaks or osteoporosis. Denosumab is relatively a new drug that can also be used to help reduce the risk of problems from breast cancer that have spread to the bone. It is given as an injection for minimizing the risk of osteoporosis.