Medically speaking, cancer is a name that can apply to several types of diseases. There can be many different symptoms and treatment for the various cancers. Some cancers may rapidly harm a person while others may remain undetected for years. The one thing that all of these different cancers have in common is that they happen when some cells in the body start to divide rapidly, spreading throughout the body. Unlike normal cells that multiply at a slow rate, have a distinct purpose, and have a defined lifespan, cancer cells quickly become out of control. Cancerous cells typically clump together at first, forming tumors that make it hard for the healthy cells in the body to function correctly. Sometimes, cancer cells can break off from the original tumor, travel to another part of the body, and create more tumors there. When a cancer does this, it becomes a metastasized cancer that may be more difficult to treat. Properly treating cancer relies on quickly diagnosing the condition and destroying cancer cells without harming too many healthy ones.
What Are Common Cancer Types?
Cancer can occur almost anywhere in the body, and it is generally categorized according to where it originally began and what type of cells it is made from. The most common cancer types include:
Carcinoma
These are the most common type of cancers. A carcinoma is any sort of cancer that originated in the epithelial tissue that makes up the skin and the internal organ linings. Since epithelial cells are found almost everywhere in the body, there is a very high number of carcinomas diagnosed each year. Whenever these epithelial cells divide or become damaged, they can mutate into cancerous cells. Typical regions of the body for a carcinoma to develop include the mouth, lungs, breasts, prostate, ovaries, colon, pancreas, or cervix. Depending on the size, type and shape of the cancerous cells in the carcinoma, it may be further categorized. An adenocarcinoma is one with gland tissue, and a squamous cell carcinoma is one that arises from the squamous cells that connect other epithelial cells. However, carcinomas are often very difficult to define, so a person can have an adenosquamous, undifferentiated, or other type of vague categorization for their carcinoma.
Lymphoma
A lymphoma is a cancer that arises from lymphocytes. These are white blood cells known as T cells and B cells that should help the body to fight off bacteria and other invaders. Unfortunately, when the lymphocytes become cancerous, they can start to fight against the body's normal cells or crowd out healthy blood cells. Lymphomas typically originate in the lymph nodes of the body, and these types of cancerous cells are often spread to other parts of the immune system rapidly. A lymphoma cancer is classified as either Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Hodgkin lymphoma is a somewhat rare type of lymphoma that is characterized by abnormal Reed-Sternberg cells, and it can be a little easier to treat.
Leukemia
Leukemia is another type of white blood cell cancer, but instead of occurring among lymphocytic cells, they accor among blasts. Blasts are immature white blood cells that are still being formed in the bone marrow. Therefore, leukemia tumors typically originates in the bone marrow. Affected tissue that is supposed to produce healthy blood cells will began producing abnormally high amounts of white blood cells instead. Unlike a lymphoma, most leukemia symptoms are caused by a lack of healthy red blood cells not an excess of white blood cells attacking things. Leukemia may not be the most common type of cancer among all humans, but it is the most common type of cancer to occur among children.
Sarcoma
Sarcomas are cancers from mesenchymal cells. These cells are the cells that make up connective tissue throughout the body, so sarcomas tend to originate in the bones, cartilage, fat, and muscle of the body. Depending on which type of mesenchymal cell makes up the cancer, a sarcoma may be divided into a few categories. An osteosarcoma involves bone cells, a liposarcoma involves cancerous cells that resemble fat, a leiomyosarcoma has cells that are made up of smooth muscle, and a chondrosarcoma originates from cartilage cells. Sarcomas are the rarest of the basic cancer types, and survival rates tend to be quite high.
Melanoma
Melanoma is frequently referred to as skin cancer, but it is technically not a cancer of skin cells. Instead, melanoma is a cancer of the melanocyte cells in the body that produce pigment. Therefore, a melanoma can occur on any pigmented part of the body, such as the skin, mouth, eyes, or intestines. Melanomas typically start out as a mole or skin discoloration that quickly becomes irregular in size, shape, and color, and it tends to cause the skin to feel itchy or break down rapidly. Though melanomas are the most dangerous form of skin cancer, they are also one of the most preventable. Melanoma typically happen among those who spend time being exposed to UV rays.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cancer
Here are some of the questions that people most frequently wonder about the topic of cancer.
Q: Are all tumors cancerous?
A: It can be scary to be diagnosed with a tumor, but keep in mind that not every type of tumor is cancerous. A tumor is simply a cluster of cells growing abnormally anywhere within the body. In many cases, a tumor is a benign growth that contains cells dividing at a normal rate. A tumor is only defined as cancerous if the cells are dividing at a rapidly concerning rate.
Q: What are early warning signs of cancer?
A: Of course cancer symptoms vary a lot depending on type, but a person may need a checkup for any type of unusual symptom. Cancers can cause more vague issues like weight loss, chronic pain, headaches, frequent infections, and persistent fatigue, or they can cause more precise problems like coughing up blood, unexplained rashes, unusual lumps, excessive night sweats, or fevers.
Q: How is cancer diagnosed?
A: If a person notices any of the early warning signs of cancer, they may need to visit a doctor with their concerns. At first, the doctor may try to find other causes for the patient's symptoms. If they cannot rule out cancer as a diagnosis, the doctor will need to schedule a biopsy to confirm their suspicions. During a biopsy, a tissue sample is taken from the tumor, lymph node, or bone marrow and examined in a lab. The presence of abnormal cells within confirm a cancer diagnosis.
Q: What do the different stages of cancer mean?
A: One of the most misunderstood parts of a cancer diagnosis is the staging. Cancer stages simply refer to the size and growth of the cancer. Stage one cancer is cancer that is small and stuck in its original origin spot. A stage two cancer is somewhat larger but it still has not spread throughout other areas besides the original origin. By stage three, a cancer is beginning to spread into the cells surrounding the site, and cancerous cells have traveled to nearby lymph nodes. At stage four, the cancer is in other body organs, and it has metastasized.
Q: How is cancer traditionally treated?
A: Each patient's cancer treatment is unique, so a doctor will traditionally prescribe any combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. For cases where the cancer is contained in one small area, a surgery to remove the tumor is often recommended. In radiation, a high dosage of radiation can be used to destroy cancerous cells. Chemotherapy is the third traditional option, and it is an injected or oral drug that can be used to destroy a cancerous cell.
Q: What are more innovative cancer treatment options?
A: In addition to basic cancer treatments, doctors may also try some more modern approaches. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that encourages a patient's own immune system to destroy cancerous cells. Stem cell transplants can help to restore important cells in a patient if chemotherapy or radiation destroy the patient's healthy cells. For some cancers, hormone therapy can help to slow the overall growth of the cancer. There are also an increasing variety of targeted, precision drugs that may be able to destroy cancer cells without harming surrounding cells.
Q: What increases cancer risks?
A: Cancer may not be entirely preventable, but it is possible to greatly reduce one's chances of getting the condition or decrease the growth of a tumor. Living a generally healthy lifestyle with a moderate weight, plenty of exercise, and high intake of plant based foods can help to keep a person strong enough to fight off cancer. Many cancers are caused by certain viruses and hepatitis, so it is wise to get immunizations against these conditions. Almost a quarter of cancer deaths are linked to tobacco usage, so using tobacco should be stopped immediately. Other potentially harmful activities include excessive sun exposure, drinking too much alcohol, or eating a lot of processed foods.
