Cancer is the disease with the name that strikes fear in the hearts of people.
But what exactly is cancer?
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells.
It can affect almost any part of the body. The cancerous growths often invade surrounding tissue and can metastasize (“move”) to distant sites. Although cancer is not curable in the sense that one can take a pill or a mixture and be cured, many cancers can be prevented by avoiding exposure to common risk factors, such as tobacco smoke. A large proportion of cancers can also be cured by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, especially if they are detected early.
Worldwide, the five most common types of cancer that kill men are (in order of frequency):
lung cancer,
stomach cancer,
liver cancer,
colorectal cancer (colon and rectum) and
oesophagus cancer (canal between throat and stomach).
Worldwide, the five most common types of cancer that kill women are (in the order of frequency):
breast cancer,
lung cancer,
stomach cancer,
colorectal cancer and
cervical cancer.
Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of cancer in the world.
What are the symptoms of cancer?
Symptoms are indications of the presence of something, in this case a disease.
In general, the symptoms of cancer are:
a lump or thickening in the breast or testicles;
a change in a wart or mole;
a skin sore or a persistent sore throat that doesn't heal;
a change in bowel or bladder habits;
a persistent cough or coughing blood;
constant indigestion or trouble swallowing;
unusual bleeding or vaginal discharge;
chronic fatigue.
Some symptoms are an indication of specific types of cancers:
Bladder cancer:
blood in the urine,
pain or burning upon urination;
frequent urination;
cloudy urine
Bone cancer:
pain in the bone or swelling around the affected site;
fractures in bones;
weakness;
fatigue;
weight loss;
repeated infections;
nausea;
vomiting,
constipation;
problems with urination;
weakness or numbness in the legs;
bumps and bruises that persist.
Brain cancer:
dizziness;
drowsiness;
abnormal eye movements or changes in vision;
weakness;
loss of feeling in arms or legs or difficulty in walking;
fits or convulsions;
changes in personality, memory or speech;
headaches that tend to be worse in the morning and ease during the day, that may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting
Breast cancer:
a lump or thickening of the breast;
discharge from the nipple;
change in the skin of the breast;
a feeling of heat;
enlarged lymph nodes under the arm
Colorectal cancer:
rectal bleeding (red blood in stools or black stools);
abdominal cramps;
constipation alternating with diarrhea;
weight loss;
loss of appetite;
weakness;
pallid complexion
Kidney cancer:
blood in urine;
dull ache or pain in the back or side;
lump in kidney area, sometimes accompanied by high blood pressure or abnormality in red blood cell count
Leukemia:
weakness, paleness, fever and flu-like symptoms;
bruising and prolonged bleeding;
enlarged lymph nodes;
spleen;
pain in bones and joints;
frequent infections;
weight loss;
night sweats
Lung cancer:
wheezing;
persistent cough for months;
blood-streaked sputum;
persistent ache in chest;
congestion in lungs;
enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
Melanoma:
change in mole or other bump on the skin, including bleeding or change in size, shape, color, or texture
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma:
painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin;
persistent fever;
feeling of fatigue;
unexplained weight loss;
itchy skin and rashes;
small lumps in skin;
bone pain;
swelling in the abdomen;
liver or spleen enlargement
Oral cancer:
a lump in the mouth;
ulceration of the lip, tongue or inside of the mouth that does not heal within a couple of weeks;
dentures that no longer fit well;
oral pain;
bleeding;
foul breath;
loose teeth;
changes in speech
Ovarian cancer:
abdominal swelling; in rare cases, abnormal vaginal bleeding;
digestive discomfort
Pancreatic cancer:
upper abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss;
pain near the center of the back;
intolerance of fatty foods;
yellowing of the skin;
abdominal masses;
enlargement of liver and spleen
Prostate cancer:
urination difficulties due to blockage of the urethra;
bladder retains urine, creating frequent feelings of urgency to urinate, especially at night;
bladder not emptying completely;
burning or painful urination;
bloody urine;
tenderness over the bladder;
dull ache in the pelvis or back
Stomach cancer:
indigestion or heartburn;
discomfort or pain in the abdomen;
nausea and vomiting;
diarrhea or constipation;
bloating after meals;
loss of appetite;
weakness and fatigue;
bleeding - vomiting blood or blood in the stool
Uterine cancer:
abnormal vaginal bleeding, a watery bloody discharge in postmenopausal women;
painful urination;
pain during intercourse;
pain in pelvic area
Sources and further reading:
http://www.cancersymptoms.org/
http://www.cancure.org/cancer_symptoms.htm
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cancer_symptoms/page2_em.htm
Why do people get cancer?
Carcinogens
A 'carcinogen' is something that can help to cause cancer. Tobacco smoke is a carcinogen.
“Risky behaviours" – this means indulging in something that increases your risk to get cancer
Genetic predisposition – your genetic make-up makes it more likely that you will develop cancer
Chance – many changes in genes are accidental. Cells divide and each time they divide they have to copy their complete genetic code. Sometimes mistakes happen.
Your immune system - people who have problems with their immune systems
are more likely to get some types of cancer.
Age – the longer you live, the more likely you are to gather enough genetic damage to trigger cancer.
Chronic infections - chronic infections continually stimulate cells to divide.
Bodyweight, diet and physical activity - In the western world, many people eat too much red and processed meat and not enough fresh fruit and vegetables. This type of diet is known to increase the risk of cancer.
Drinking alcohol can also increase the risk of developing some types of cancer. http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/cancer/a/aa000520.htm
Day to day environment - tobacco smoke, the sun, natural and man made radiation, work place hazards, asbestos.
Viruses - Viruses can contribute to the development of some cancers. This does not mean that these cancers can be caught like an infection. What happens is that the virus can cause genetic changes in cells that make them more likely to become cancerous.
Cancers and viruses that are linked
Cervical cancer, and other cancers of the genital and anal area, and the genital wart virus, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus
Primary liver cancer and the Hepatitis B and C viruses
Lymphomas and the Epstein-Barr Virus
T-cell leukaemia, a rare cancer of the immune system's own T-cells, a group of white blood cells in adults and the Human T cell leukaemia virus
HPV also probably leads to oropharyngeal cancer and some non melanoma skin cancers
Bacterial infection - Studies have shown that people who have helicobacter pylori infection of their stomach, develop inflammation of the stomach lining which increases the risk of stomach cancer.
Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that is commonly found in the stomach. It is present in approximately one-half of the world's population and is probably spread by consuming food or water contaminated with fecal matter.
Cancer as a cause of death in South Africa
CANSA estimates that over 80 000 South Africans die each year from cancer.
The leading cancers in terms of deaths, according to the SA Medical Research Council, 2000, are:
Trachea/bronchi/lung cancer: 6 885
Oesophageal cancer: 5 579
Cervical cancer: 3 498
Breast cancer: 3 206
Liver cancer: 2 651
Colorectal cancer: 2 567
Prostate cancer: 2 524
Stomach cancer: 2 348
Pancreas cancer: 1 541
Leukemia: 1 465
Breast cancer occurs the most among women in SA with 1 in 26 women getting breast cancer while prostate cancer occurs the most among men in SA with 1 in 24 getting prostate cancer. 1 in 5 men in SA get cancer.
Complete statistics: http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_i...
http://www.health24.com/center/imagepopups/cancer_man.htm
Why do most people NOT get cancer?
Scientists do not know why some people to not get cancer, but they suspect that the reason could be that most people may have various protective mechanisms that counteract the development of cancer cells and stop the disease from progressing beyond the earliest stages.
The impact of cancer in South Africa - https://apps.who.int/infobase/report.aspx?iso=ZAF&rid=119&goButton=Go
Cancer in children
There are about 700 children diagnosed with cancer each year in South Africa.
It is estimated that in South Africa only half of the children are diagnosed and reach a treatment centre in time. The most common childhood cancer is leukaemia.
How do people get cancer?
Sunbed use: http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_i...
Smoking
Tobacco smoke contains many different cancer-causing substances. When you smoke, these chemicals enter your lungs and spread around the rest of your body. Scientists have shown that these chemicals can damage DNA and change important genes. This causes cancer by making your cells grow and multiply out of control.
http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cat=1309&limit=10&page=0&sort=D...
Cure for cancer
http://www.dendreon.com/about/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendreon
https://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause...
Cancer prevention tips
http://cancer.about.com/od/preventiontips/qt/alcoholcancer.htm
General:
A hubbly bubbly is not safe smoking http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_i...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah
In 2005, 7.6 million people died of cancer which was 13% of deaths worldwide. More than 70% of those deaths occured in low and middle income countries - http://www.who.int/cancer/modules/en/
In 2005 CANCER killed approximately 41,000 people in South Africa. 27,000 of those people were under the age of 70 - https://apps.who.int/infobase/report.aspx?iso=ZAF&rid=119&goButton=Go
The P-ball
CANSA has launched the novel P-Ball game to create awareness of male cancers. The P-Ball is a small biodegradable ball that can be placed in a urinal; the aim is to destroy the P-Ball in the shortest possible time to gauge the strength of the urine stream. http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_i...
Testicular cancer- questions to ask your doctor
https://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_...
Testicular cancer - what young men need to know
http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id...
Prostate cancer- questions to ask your doctor
http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id...
The Prostate Gland and Cancer
http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id...
Men hit by 'inexplicable' greater cancer risk
http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_i...
Teenagers and cancer - http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/cancer/cancer.html
http://www.choc.org.za/default.asp?iId=JIMGH
More information about cancer:
http://www.who.int/topics/cancer/en/
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=122
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=120
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=121
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=97#genes
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=32129
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=13028
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4310
http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~gi0iITvAhVEvR5
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=119#immune
A-Z list of cancers - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/alphalist
This article is for information purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your doctor for advice
What should you do?
Men over 40 - at least go for a blood test which can indicate the presence of cancer
Men under 40 - examine yourself every day. Make sure you at least know the symptoms of prostate cancer. Check how much you eat and drink
Women - regularly have yourself tested for breast and cervical cancer. Having a Mammogram is not the painful experience it used to be.
Teenagers - If you're young and would like to do something but you cannot discuss it with your parents, ask your parents to read this or forward it to them to show them your concern and open up the channels of communication.
Give your Dad P-balls as a present. He may not use them (not many homes have urinals) but he'll take note of your concern and hopefully appreciate it.
Hopefully your Dad and Mom will have the tests and ease your concern
If you're a husband and father, at least do the blood test. But if you care enough, have your prostate tested and show you care for your family who are concerned about the health of a husband and father.
You owe it to them.
Have anything to add, relate a personal experience, want to ask a question or give your view? Please comment below.
