Cancer
It is not uncommon to hear about many new, and different, types of diseases spreading in today's world. Until a few decades ago AIDS was an unheard of disease whereas today it is most probably the most spoken-about. Similarly, another disease to become widespread recently is cancer. Although also a daunting disease to be affected with, researchers have been trying to find cures for many different kinds of cancers and have had many a great breakthrough. But to this day there are no specific reasons that can be named to cause cancer. Research has found many risk factors that increase a person's chance of getting cancer, but these are not exact causes for it either. It all seems to be left to chance.
What is cancer? All living cells in our body go through a cyclic process of being production, living and then finally dying. These dead cells are then removed from our body through various mechanisms that take place in our body. In some cases, forming new cells takes place out of the usual rhythm. This means that while there are already healthy, living cells more and more keep adding on. when there are too many of the cells formed, they become a collection which serve no purpose. This mass of cells is called a tumor, which if malignant (i.e. harmful) is then termed cancer. Cancers are named according which region of the body they appear. For example, if found in lungs it is called lung cancer, and if in the bone, then bone cancer. The mass formed could either remain in one place or spread through the lymphatic system to other parts of the body. This happens when the cancer cells break free from the mass and move to other parts of the body.
There are various types of treatments used to cure cancer. Surgery is used on some tumors to remove them from the body, but when a mass cannot be separated by surgery, treatments like radiation therapy or chemotherapy are used to kill the cancer cells.
Having cancer can be a terrifying experience, but it does not mean the end of the road for anyone. Getting proper treatment, eating the right kinds of food, making small changes in your lifestyle, and most importantly, ALWAYS being positive are the best ways to make sure you enjoy life for many more years to come!
