Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally.

 Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. According to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are currently 10 million new cases of cancer worldwide each year. According to new WHO estimates, one in every 10 Indians in India is likely to develop cancer in their lifetime and one in 15 people may die from cancer. In this WHO report, some shocking statistics related to cancer in India have also been revealed:

16 million new cases of cancer are reported in India every year.

About 7,84,800 people die due to cancer.

The six main cancers in India include breast cancer, oral cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer.

What is cancer?

Cancer is an abnormal and dangerous condition in the body. Cancer occurs when cells in the body begin to grow and divide abnormally. Our body is made up of trillions of cells. Healthy cells grow and divide according to the needs of the body. As cells age or become damaged, these cells also die. New cells are formed in their place. When someone gets cancer, the cells stop working in this way. Old and damaged cells are kept alive instead of dying and new cells are formed even though they are not needed. These extra cells divide uncontrollably, resulting in a tumor. Most cancers are tumors, but blood cancer does not have tumors. However, not every tumor is cancerous. Cancer can develop in any part of the body. Usually it spreads in the surrounding tissues. Abnormal and damaged cancer cells reach other parts of the body and start forming new malignant tumors.

More than a hundred including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, lymphoma There are different types of cancer. All these cancers have different symptoms and tests. Cancer is treated mainly by chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

Symptoms of cancer

All cancer symptoms are different from each other. In such a case, everyone should know about its signs and symptoms (symptoms of cancer), so that diagnosis and treatment can be started by recognizing the symptoms in time. Some common symptoms of cancer are as follows:-

Sudden weight loss (Unexplained weight loss): If your weight starts to decrease rapidly for no apparent reason, then this can be one of the first signs of cancer. People suffering from pancreas, stomach cancer or lung cancer have a problem of losing weight. However, weight loss can also occur in people with other types of cancer.

Extreme fatigue: Feeling tired all day is also one of the important symptoms of cancer. Fatigue is felt more when you have Leukemia, Colon cancer.

Lump: If any kind of lump or lump is seen in the skin, it may be a sign of cancer. Cancers in breast cancer, lymph nodes, soft tissue and testicles usually have lumps.

Changes in the skin: If the color of your skin has changed to yellow, black or red, then this can be a sign of cancer. Along with this, if moles or warts on any part of the body change in color and shape, do not ignore it. Also note that no wound is taking too long to heal.

Acute pain: Acute pain can usually be an early symptom of bone or testicular cancer, while back pain can be a sign of colorectal, pancreatic or ovarian cancer. There are signs. People who have malignant brain tumors complain of severe headaches.

Changes in bowel movement and bladder function: Constipation, diarrhea, blood in the stool can be signs of colorectal cancer. Bleeding with pain while urinating can be early symptoms of bladder cancer and prostate cancer.

Swelling in lymph nodes: It is not good to have swollen glands for three to four weeks. An increase in the size of lymph nodes is also a sign of cancer.

Anemia: When anemia occurs, there is a heavy decrease in red blood cells. It can be a sign of hematological cancer.

Cause of cancer

There is no known reason behind the cause of cancer. However, certain factors can increase the chances of developing cancer. We have to avoid exposure to possible carcinogenic factors to save ourselves from this dangerous situation. However, it is not in our power to prevent cancer caused by genetic causes, which is a major risk factor for developing cancer. However, those with a family history of cancer should be screened with extra caution. Due to this, cancer can be detected early and treatment can be started on time. Some of the major factors that can increase the chances of getting cancer are:-

Chewing tobacco or smoking cigarettes: Consumption of nicotine present in these things can cause cancer in any part of the body. Tobacco and smoking generally increase the risk of mouth cancer, lung cancer, alimentary tract and pancreatic cancer.

Genes: If there is a history of cancer in the family, then the possibility of this dangerous disease increases to a great extent. Cancer can also be caused by a faulty gene. For example, Breast Cancer, Hereditary Non Polyposis Colorectal Cancer etc. can be hereditary.

Carcinogens in the environment: Whatever we eat or drink, the air we breathe, there are many elements or substances that have the ability to increase the risk of cancer. . Compounds like Asbestos, Benzene, Arsenic, Nickel increase the risk of many other cancers besides lung cancer.

Foods: Nowadays, most of the fruits and vegetables are contaminated with pesticides, the consumption of which has undesirable effects on the body. Reheated foods, overcooked foods, reheated oils become carcinogenic. Water polluted due to waste materials from factories is also very harmful, because it contains more heavy minerals.

Viruses: Hepatitis B and C viruses are responsible for up to 50 percent of liver cancer, while human papilloma virus is responsible for 99.9% of cervical cancer cases. . Also, radiation and sun exposure also significantly increase the risk of cancer.

Stage of cancer

Most cancers have tumors and they can be divided into five stages. All these stages of cancer indicate how serious your cancer is.

Stage 0 (Stage 0): This indicates that you do not have cancer. However, there are some abnormal cells in the body, which can develop into cancer.

Stage I: In this stage, the tumor is small and the cancer cells spread only in one area.

Second and third stage (Stage II and III): In the first and second stage, the size of the tumor increases and the cancer cells start spreading in nearby organs and lymph nodes.

Fourth stage (Stage IV): This is the last and most dangerous stage of cancer, which is also called metastatic cancer. In this stage, cancer starts spreading to other parts of the body.

Cancer diagnosis

Doctors try to diagnose cancer by looking at physical symptoms and signs. A physical examination is done after reviewing your medical history. A sample of urine, blood or stool is taken for the test. If cancer is suspected, you may have to undergo X-ray, computed tomography, MRI, ultrasound and fiber-optic endoscopy tests. Through all these tools the doctor can easily know about the location and size of the tumor. It is easy to know if someone has cancer or not through a biopsy. Tissue samples are taken for examination in biopsy. If the biopsy results are positive, then several other tests are done to detect the spread of the cancer.

Cancer treatment

The doctor can decide the treatment option (Cancer treatment) based on the type, location or condition of the cancer. Generally, cancer treatment mainly includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplants.

Surgery

Doctors try to remove cancerous tumors, tissues, lymph nodes, or any other cancer-affected areas through surgery. Sometimes doctors also perform surgery to find out the severity of the disease. If the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body, then surgery is the best treatment option.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is done in several stages. In this process, cancer cells are eliminated through drugs. However, this method of treatment is quite painful for some. Many of its side effects are also seen, mainly including hair loss. Medicines are also delivered by intravenous injection along with food.

Radiation therapy

Radiation directly affects cancer cells and prevents them from growing again. In this process, high-energy particles or waves are used to destroy cancer cells. In the treatment of some people, only radiation therapy is given, while some people are given surgery and chemotherapy along with radiation therapy.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy enables your immune system to fight cancer cells.

Hormone therapy

This therapy is used to treat cancers that are affected by hormones. Hormone therapy improves breast and prostate cancer to a great extent.