Cancer is one of those words that everyone dreads. There are various types of cancer and any type of cancer is really bad news. All types of cancer are life threatening (this is what makes them so dreadful). Even with all that medical advancement we still don’t have a complete cure for all types of cancer. However, there is continuous research going-on for finding better treatments for cancer and to increase our knowledge on cancer in general. Though there are treatments currently available for some common types of cancer, these treatments work only if the cancer is discovered in early stages.
- Breast cancer: This disease occurs when cells that are abnormal grow out of control in one or both breasts. They can also invade nearby tissues and form a mass (malignant tumour). In 2005, it caused 502,000 deaths worldwide (7% of cancer deaths; almost 1% of all deaths. IT is about 100 times as frequent among women as among men. More than 80% of breast cancer cases are discovered when the woman feels a lump. Indications of it other than a lump may include changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge.
- Lung Cancer: This occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in the lung. They can form tumours and invade nearby tissue. It is the leading cause of all cancer deaths in men and second most common in women. It is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. The main cause of lung cancer is of course smoking but being exposed to asbestos, arsenic, radioactive dust, or radon can increase your chances of getting lung cancer. Early lung cancer, unfortunately, does not have any symptoms, but in advanced stages, this disease may affect how the lungs are working. The first signs and symptoms of it are shortness of breath, coughing (including coughing up blood), and weight loss. It may spread to the chest and then to other parts of the body.
- Colorectal cancer (colon cancer): This occurs when cells that are abnormal grow in your colon or rectum. These cells grow together and form tumours. With 655,000 deaths over the world per year, it is the third most frequent types of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. When it is found early then, it is easily treated and often cured. But usually it is not found early, and that is why it is so high in the list. Relatively straightforward screening tests can prevent this disease, but fewer than half of people older than 50 are screened. The symptoms of it are usually vague, like bleeding, weight loss, and fatigue. Local (bowel) symptoms are rare until the tumor has grown to a large size.
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- Prostate cancer: This is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. The prostate sits just below the bladder. In young men, the prostate is about the size of a walnut. It usually grows larger as you grow older. This disease may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, problems during sexual intercourse, erectile dysfunction and other symptoms. It develops most frequently in men over fifty. This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate is exclusive of the male reproductive tract.
- Brain Cancer: Brain cancer can affect both adults and children, and they can be benign or malignant. Some types of the disease can be asymptomatic which means that they do not have any signs or symptoms. These kinds of brain diseases are usually diagnosed in their advance stage only. There are eight kinds of brain cancer. This type, which may occur in childhood are brain stem glioma, ependymoma, visual pathway and hypothalamic glioma and cerebellar astrocytoma. Brain tumor affects adults.
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