The life cycle of our body is a constant growth and death of cells. Every part of our body is made up of cells and our body closely governs the birth and death of these cells. Cancer is a disease in which our body loses its governance over a certain cell growth and they begin to grow uncontrollably. If the cell growth is extreme enough, a tumor may grow. Tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non cancerous). However, the only way to determine the nature of the tumor is for a physician or cancer specialist to perform a series of tests. After these tests a diagnosis can be made.
Most malignant tumors have the ability to metastasize, meaning they are able to spread to other parts of the body as they grow. Treatment for cancer usually depends on how early the disease is detected, which will often dictate which treatments are available. How early the tumor is detected will also usually dictate the patient’s prognosis. Some cancers are entirely curably, while others such as mesothelioma are incurable. Early diagnosis can be difficult in some cases because often cancer does not have aggressive symptoms in its early stages. All cancers are different but some common symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, and body pains, which are usually indicative of nutrients being lost to cell overgrowth.
To diagnose cancer, methods vary. Cancers or foreign growths are typically able to be detected in body scans, such as X-rays, magnetic resonance images (MRI), and computer tomography (CT) scans. If a foreign growth or something that resembles a malignancy is detected, the physician will often recommend that a biopsy be performed. A biopsy is a diagnosis method in which a syringe or tube extracts a small amount of fluid or tissue in the region of the cancer for laboratory analysis. Cancer specialists will examine the cells beneath a microscope to determine what exactly the cells are, and, if its determined to be a tumor, whether the growth is malignant or benign.
Cancer’s severity is measured by its stage, which will indicate the extent to which the cancer is affecting body. The earlier the stage, the less the cancer has invaded the body. Larger tumors which have spread beyond the origin of their growth may be designated a stage III or IV, while a newly detected tumor within a specific region may be designated a stage I or II malignancy. Treatment for most cancers breaks down into the categories of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Individuals should seek further information from a physician or cancer center if they have further inquiries about cancer.