A disease referred to as cancer arises when some body cells multiply uncontrollably and spread to other bodily organs.

Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body because of trillions of cells. Human cells often divide, or grow and multiply, to produce new cells as needed by the body. Cells die and are replaced by new ones when they grow old or get damaged.

What are the causes of cancer?

Mutations, or changes to your cells’ DNA, are the main cause of cancer. Mutations in genes can be inherited. They can also be caused by environmental factors later in life.

These outside factors, commonly referred to as carcinogens, can include:

• physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet (UV) and radiation

• Air pollution, cigarette smoke, asbestos, alcohol, and contaminated food and water are mild chemical carcinogens.

• Parasites, bacteria, and viruses are examples of biological carcinogens.

Tobacco, alcohol, having a high body mass index (BMI), low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and insufficient physical activity may contribute to around 33 percent of the deaths from cancer, says the WHOTrusted Source.

Risk factors

Risk factors may be present in anyone, increasing the susceptibility for you to contract cancer. Examples may include the following:

• An assessment of 2017 indicates tobacco use, extreme intake of alcohol, a low diet consisting of processed, red meat, sugary beverages, salted snacks, starchy products, and refined carbohydrates of including sugar as well as processed grains;

• physical inactivity

• exposure to viruses like H. pylori, human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, and Epstein-Barr virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, exposure to air pollution, exposure to radiation, and unprotected exposure to UV light, such as sunlight.

As a human ages, so does their chance of developing cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the risk of developing generally appears to increase until reaching age 70 to 80Trusted Source and declines after that.

A restudy in 2020. According to a credible author, this might be the result of:

• Age-related declines in cell repair mechanisms, accumulation of risk factors throughout life as well as exposure to carcinogens.

• Some pre-existing medical problems that cause inflammation may also increase your chances of developing cancer.

•  Ulcerative colitis is one such example; it is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

Cancer types

Although they may spread to other parts of the body, cancers are named based on the cell type and where they first appear. For example, lung cancer is still the term used for a cancer that originates in the lungs but has spread to the liver.

There are also some general types of cancer referred to by a variety of clinical terms:

• Carcinoma is a form of cancer which starts from tissues of other organs or the skin.

• Sarcoma is a group of cancers which affect tissues connected to the body in its structure like blood vessels, cartilage, muscles and bones.

• Bone marrow, producing blood cells can become leukemia.

• Myeloma and lymphoma are disorders in the immune system

Know more about specific cancers here with

• bone cancer, 
• bladder cancer, 
• appendix cancer
• brain cancer
• Breast cancer
• cervical cancer
• Colorectal or colon cancer
• cancer of the duodenum
• Ear cancer
• Cancer of the endometrium
• Esophageal cancer
• heart cancer
• cancer of the gallbladder
• renal or kidney cancer
• Cancer of the larynx
• Leukaemia
• Cancer of the lips
• carcinoma of the liver
• Lung cancer
• The lymphoma
• Mesothelioma
• Oral myeloma cancers
• Ovarian cancer
• cancer of the pancreas
• cancer of the penis
• cancer of the prostate
• Cancer of the rectal region
• skin cancer
• Cancer of the small intestine
• Cancer of the spleen
• gastric or stomach cancer
• Cancer of the testicles
• carcinoma of the thyroid
• Carcinoma of the uterus
• Carcinoma of the vagina
• Vulvar carcinoma

The importance of early detection

Early detection refers to the discovery of cancer in its early stages. It can decrease the mortality rate and increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Cancer screenings may help in early detection of cancer. Some common types of cancer screenings can detect:

• Prostate and cervical cancer. Some routine check-ups may involve some screenings, such as for prostate and cervical cancer.
• lung cancer. Anyone with a history of other specific risk factors will periodically undergo lung cancer screening.
• skin cancer. If you have any conditions or are prone to certain risks for skin cancer, your dermatologist can conduct a screening for it.
• colorectal cancer. At age 45, the American Cancer Society (ACS)Trusted Source recommends regular colorectal cancer screenings. Most often, these are done as part of a colonoscopy. A 2017 review of research indicates that some types of colorectal cancer may even be detected by home testing kits. reliable source.
• carcinoma of the breast. You can start screening for breast cancer at age 40, however mammograms are advised for women 45 and older (Trusted Source). Early screenings may be advised for high-risk individuals.

It is very critical to adhere to your physician’s recommendation on screening especially if one has a greater risk of developing cancer and a history of the family disease.

Even though identifying cancer warning signs may aid those who are affected in seeking diagnosis and treatment, certain cancers may be more difficult to identify early and may not exhibit symptoms until later in the disease’s progression.

Some of the symptoms and indicators of cancer include:

•  Bodily growths or tumors, 
• inexplicable weight loss,
•  fever, 
• exhaustion, 
• pain
• Night sweats
• Changes in skin,
•  cough, 
• digestion

Some cancers often have specific warning signs of their own. If you are experiencing symptoms that cannot be explained, you should consult a doctor to get a proper diagnosis.

Cancer develops and spreads in various ways.

Abnormal cell division

Your body’s normal cells divide and grow. The life cycle of each one of them varies according to the kind of cell. New cells replace damaged cells or dead cells.

This pathway gets disrupted by cancer, bringing about aberrant cell growth. It is caused by a change or mutation in the DNA of the cell.

Each cell’s DNA possesses instructions on how to grow and divide, as well as various other things. DNA regularly undergoes mutations, although cells generally correct these. A cell can become malignant if an error is not corrected.

Mutations can lead to the formation of new cells when they are not required and the survival of cells that should be replaced. Tumours can develop due to these excess cells dividing uncontrollably.

tumour development

It can cause health problems if it develops in any place of the body.

It is not a fact that every tumour is cancerous. Benign tumours are those that do not affect adjacent tissues and are thus non-cancerous or not malignant.

But still, sometimes tumours get big and cause problems since they compress adjacent tissue and organs. Cancerous ones may spread to other body parts.

Metastasis:

 A few cancer cells are able to spread through the lymphatic or circulatory system to other parts of the body. We call this metastasis.

Metastatic cancers are said to be more progressed than the non-metastasized ones. Metastatic malignancies are often deadlier and harder to treat.

Treatment

Different treatment options are available for cancer, depending on the type and stage of the disease.

• localized care. Generally, localized treatment involves the use of therapies like local radiation therapy or surgery to a specific tumor or body part.
• systemic care. Systemic medication treatments like immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy can affect the whole body.
• palliative care. Palliative care focuses on reducing cancer-related symptoms, such as pain and difficulty breathing.

Different types of cancer treatments are often combined to destroy or remove as many cancerous cells as possible.

The most common types of treatment are:

Surgery

 As much of the cancer as possible is removed through surgery. Surgery is often combined with another type of treatment to ensure that all of the cancer cells are eliminated.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is an aggressive cancer treatment that kills cells quickly by dividing by using drugs that are poisonous to the cells. It can reduce the number of cells in your body or the size of a tumour that will lessen the chance that the disease will spread.

Radiation treatment

Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by utilizing strong, concentrated beams of radiation. The terminology for this type of cancer treatment when administered within the body is called brachytherapy, while if it is administered outside the body, then it is termed external beam radiation.

Bone marrow stem cell transplant

This therapy employs normal stem cells in the reconstruction of degenerate bone marrow. Un-specialized cells with extensive prospects for applications are named as stem cells. Using such transplants, the physicians treat malignancy at bigger doses of chemotherapy. One such common leukemia treatment is stem cell transplant.

Biologic Therapy – Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy targets your cancer cells by using the immune system of your body. With the help of the treatments, your antibodies learn to identify the cancer very well and use your body’s defenses to eliminate the cancer cells.

Hormone treatment

The hormone treatment stops the cancer cell growth by eliminating or blocking the hormones that cause certain kinds of cancer. It is often used in treating the tumors that involve some form of breast cancer which could grow and multiply due to the use of hormones.

Drug therapy that is specifically targeted

Medications can be used in targeted treatment to block certain chemicals that would nourish and promote the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Your potential suitability for such a treatment can be identified by genetic tests. All of these factors- the type of cancer, the chemical properties of the tumour, and any existing genetic mutation-may affect your potential for this therapy.

Clinical trials

Clinical research searches for new ways of treating cancer. In that, it could be using medicines that the FDA has authorized and approved but for other uses. Others would be testing new drugs. In some cases, there are those who might not benefit adequately from the conventional method; clinical research serves as an alternative. In such scenarios, this treatment is administered for

Alternative therapies

The other kind of treatment may be supplemented with alternative medicine. It might reduce the symptoms of cancer and the side effects of its treatment like pain, fatigue, and nausea. Alternative options for cancer treatment include:

• Acupuncture
•  Massage
•  Yoga
•  Meditation
•  relaxation techniques

Prognosis

Your outlook after being diagnosed with cancer will depend on various factors. These factors may include:

• Type of cancer
• stage of cancer at diagnosis
•  location of cancer
•  Age
•  general health

Avoidance

You can minimize your chances of developing cancer by adopting a lifestyle that considers the factors that cause the disease.

There are several ways to lower your risk of getting cancer:

• minimize your intake of processed meats, avoid tobacco and secondhand smoke, and eat a diet rich in plant-based foods, 
• lean proteins
• healthy fats, such as the Mediterranean diet
• Avoid alcohol or drink in moderation.
• Maintaining a healthy BMI and body weight and doing 150–300 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Trusted Source
• Limiting exposure to direct sunlight and protecting yourself from it by wearing sunglasses, 
• a hat
• broad spectrum sunscreen
• Avoiding tanning beds
• Getting vaccinated against viruses like HPV and hepatitis B that can cause cancer