The Most Common Types Of Cancer As Well As Treatment Options
Cancer is a condition that begins and affects the functioning of the whole body, overtime. The basic nature of cancer is portrayed through abnormal duplication of cells which happens uncontrollably. The end result is formation of a mass of excess cells called tumors There are two types of tumors but only malignant ones are harmful. The other type is called benign and is not cancerous.
The Harmful cancer cells usually divide rapidly entering other nearby tissue and organs which jeopardizes the normal functioning of the body. The cancerous cells can also swim through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system to give rise to tumors in other places.
Cancers are usually named after the place in which it starts. Therefore, names of common types of cancer as lung cancer, bone cancer, breast cancer and so on. If a lung cancer affects the brain, it is still called a metastatic lung cancer for the simple reason that cancerous cells originated in the lungs.
Statistics show breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer to be the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer. Breast cancers are usually diagnosed through annual mammograms or through identified lumps in the breasts or through discharges from the nipples. The most common breast cancer treatment options are chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy.
Colon cancer has a variety of symptoms such as weight loss, bowel habit changes, discomfort and pain in abdomen, as well as fatigue. the exact causes of colon cancers are not yet known but it is believed, that genetic mutations that are passed down generations can act a risk factor.
Similarly, genetics plays a big role in lung cancer. But the most common cause of lung cancer in the world is tobacco smoking, marijuana, exposure to radon and recurring inflammation of the lungs due to conditions such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. The common treatments for lung cancer are none other than chemotherapy, radiation therapy and sometimes surgery.
prostate cancer treatments differ from stage to stage. Patients in the first stage of prostate cancer are often given external radiation as well as radical prostatectomy. For stage II, radiation therapies and hormonal therapies may work out. For stage III and IV, patients may want to move in to clinical trials of chemotherapy or continue radiation therapy along with hormone therapy. Causes of prostate cancer is not crystal clear but it is believed that risk factors run in African American genes and has a connection with dietary habits and age.