Cancer
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Cancer, what is it? It is the multiplication of a single abnormal cell. As disease cells relentlessly copy themselves, they form tumours that compress, invade or destroy normal tissue. If tumour cells break away, they can travel through the bloodstream or the lymph system to other areas of the body. At these new sites they may form ‘colony’ tumours and continue to grow in a process known as metastasis. If the spread is not controlled, it will prove fatal. The condition can result from genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Nearly 80 per cent of cases are diagnosed in people aged 55 and older. One in three people are diagnosed with it during their lifetime. If your family has a history of the condition, a faulty gene passed from generation to generation then it may increase your chances of developing a particular type. Heredity, however, is the cause of only about 5 to 10 per cent of all cases.
The vast majority of cancers are caused by factors that we can control, such as smoking, poor diet, excess weight, alcohol abuse, exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays and exposure to carcinogenic pesticides. Some experts suggest that bad eating habits are responsible for approximately a third of deaths caused by the condition. By changing your eating habits by cutting down on animal fats and by eating more fruit and vegetables could significantly lower your risk of developing it.
How is it treated? Treatment depends on the type, how far it has spread and how fast. Medical and pharmaceutical research and technology have advanced so far and so fast that more and more people are surving, thanks to carefully targeted interventions. The treatment options are: • Surgery, which about 60 per cent of people undergo, often in combination with other treatments. • Radiation therapy, this kills or damages the abnormal cells by exposing them to X-rays or gamma rays. • Chemotherapy, this uses drugs to poison the abnormal cells and blocking their reproduction. • Hormone therapy, this works by disrupting the production or action of hormones, the chemical messengers that perpetuate the reproduction of the abnormal cells. • Immunotherapy, which supports the body’s own immune-system defence against the condition.
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