WHY CANCER IS CALLED'' A SILENT KILLER ? ''

BASIC KNOWLEDGE -: 

CANCER IS THE MOST DREADFUL DISEASE WHICH HAS TAKEN OVER THE LIFE OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE GLOBE. MANY PEOPLE HAVE CANCER, AND MOST OF THEM GET DIED DUE TO THIS. WE CALL CANCER A SILENT KILLER AS A PERSON WHO HAS CANCER IS NOT AWARE OF THE DISEASE IN THE INITIAL STAGES, AND WHEN A PERSON COMES TO KNOW ABOUT IT, IT REACHES UPTO THE LAST STAGE, WHICH IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ONE. CANCER IS THE SECOND MOST DREADFUL DISEASE WHICH IS MOST WIDELY SPREAD IN THE WORLD AFTER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES.  

WHAT IS CANCER, AND HOW IT SPREADS? -: 

CANCER IS THE RAPID DIVISION OF NORMAL CELLS THAT GETS UNCONTROLLABLE, AND THE RESULT IS THE FORMATION OF A TUMOR. THESE CANCEROUS CELLS LOSE PROPERTY OF CONTACT INHIBITION, i.e., IN NORMAL TISSUE WHEN ONE CELL COMES IN CONTACT OF OTHER, THE CELL DO NOT DIVIDE FURTHER.  BUT CANCEROUS CELLS DO NOT SHOW THIS PROPERTY. WHEN THIS CELL DIVISION DOES NOT STOP, THEN THE TUMOR FORMS STARS SPREADING TO OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY. ALSO, THEY DERIVE MORE NUTRITION THAN NORMAL BODY CELLS, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS OTHER NORMAL CELLS. 

TYPES OF TUMOR -: 

TUMOR IS TWO TYPES - BENIGN TUMOR (NON-MALIGNANT TUMOR) AND MALIGNANT TUMOR (CANCEROUS TUMOR). 
 

 BENIGN TUMOR -

THIS TYPE OF TUMOR REMAINS CONFINED TO ONE ORGAN OR PART ONLY AND DOES NOT SPREAD TO OTHER PARTS. IT CAUSES A LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE BODY AS IT AFFECTS ONLY A SINGLE PART AND CAN BE EASILY TREATED BY SOME TECHNIQUES OR REMOVAL OF THAT PART. 

 MALIGNANT TUMOR -

THIS TYPE OF TUMOR IS MOST DREADFUL. AS IT IS DIFFICULT TO RECOGNISE IN INITIAL STAGES BECAUSE CELLS DIVIDE SLOWLY INITIALLY BUT IN LATER STAGES CELL GROWS RAPIDLY AND INVADE THE TISSUE AND START DAMAGING OTHER SURROUNDING PARTS. AS THESE CELLS GROWS RAPIDLY SO THEY STARVE OTHER NORMAL CELLS BY COMPETING FOR VITAL NUTRIENTS. 

CAUSES OF CANCER -: 

THE GENES THAT HELP IN RAPID CELL DIVISION ARE PRESENT IN ALL OF US BUT INACTIVE FORM. THESE GENES ARE KNOWN AS CELLULAR ONCOGENES OR PROTO-ONCOGENES. THESE GENES GET ACTIVATED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHICH LEAD TO TRANSFORMATION OF INACTIVE FORM TO THEIR ACTIVE FORM. CANCER DOES NOT OCCUR ONLY DUE TO THESE ONCOGENES BUT ALSO DUE TO MUTATIONS OR ON EXPOSURE TO X-RAYS, UV RAYS, GAMMA RAYS. THEY ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONVERSION

OF ONCOGENES TO THEIR ACTIVE FORM. CANCER IS ALSO CAUSED DUE TO THE CHEWING OF TOBACCO, CONSUMING ALCOHOL, TAKING AN UNHEALTHY DIET, LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES ETC. TOBACCO CONTAINS MANY CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES THAT CAUSE CANCER OF THE BUCCAL CAVITY AND LUNG CANCER. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MOST TYPES OF THE LUNG CANCER ARE CAUSED MAINLY DUE TO CONSUMPTION OF TOBACCO. IT NOT ONLY CAUSES CANCER BUT ALSO LEADS TO MANY DISEASES WHICH CAN HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON BODY FUNCTIONS.

TYPES OF CANCER -: 

CANCER DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN ANY GENDER. ANY MALE OR FEMALE CAN SUFFER FROM IT. THERE ARE MORE THAN A HUNDRED TYPES OF CANCER DISCOVERED TILL NOW. THEY ARE NAMED BASED ON THE ORGAN OR TISSUE WHERE TUMOR DEVELOPS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF CANCER THAT IS FOUND IN IN BOTH MALE AND FEMALE ARE LISTED AS BELOW-:

CARCINOMAS-

CANCER OF EPITHELIAL CELLS. IT INCLUDE CANCER OF THE CERVIX, SKIN, BRAIN, BREAST, LUNGS ETC. MORE THAN 50% OF CANCER ARE CARCINOMAS.

LEUKAEMIAS-

IT IS A TYPE OF LIQUID TUMOR. IT IS CAUSED DUE TO THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF WBC CORPUSCLES.

MELANOMAS -

CANCEROUS GROWTH OF MELANOCYTES.

SARCOMAS -

IT INCLUDES CANCER OF BONE, CARTILAGE, TENDON, MUSCLES.

COLOUR OF CANCER RIBBONS -:

COLOUR RIBBONS ARE LISTED AS -:

DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER -:

EARLY DETECTION OF CANCER IS NECESSARY AS IT ALLOWS TREATMENT OF THE DISEASE SUCCESSFULLY. X - RAYS, CT SCAN, MRI ARE VERY USEFUL TO DETECT CANCER OF INTERNAL ORGANS. COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY USES X-RAYS TO MAKE 3D IMAGES OF THE INTERNALS OF AN OBJECT WHICH IS VERY USEFUL TO DETECT CANCER CELLS. 

TREATMENT OF CANCER -: 

TREATMENT INCLUDES SURGERY (REMOVAL OF ENTIRE AFFECTED ORGAN), RADIATION (EXPOSING CANCEROUS TISSUE TO X RAYS), CHEMOTHERAPY (ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI CANCER DRUGS LIKE VINCRISTINE AND VINBLASTIN), AND IMMUNOTHERAPY (USE OF NATURAL ANTI CANCER DEFENCE MECHANISMS E.g.α INTERFERON) 
 

CELEBRATION OF WORLD CANCER DAY -: 

CANCER DAY IS CELEBRATED ON THE 4TH OF FEBRUARY EVERY YEAR TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CANCER PATIENTS AND DEATHS CAUSED DUE TO CANCER. IT ALSO MAKES PEOPLE AWARE OF SYMPTOMS OF CANCER AND MISCONCEPTIONS PREVAILING IN OUR SOCIETY ABOUT CANCER.

ROLE OF FAMILY MEMBERS -:  

FAMILY MEMBERS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LIFE OF CANCER PATIENTS. THE CANCER PATIENT REQUIRES A LOT OF LOVE AND CARE FROM THE FAMILY MEMBERS. THE FAMILY MEMBERS MUST SUPPORT THE CANCER PATIENT.  IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FACE CANCER ALONE, SO THE FAMILY MEMBERS SUPPORT CAN MAKE A PERSON FEEL CONFIDENT. FAMILY MEMBERS MUST TALK TO PATIENTS REGULARLY AND SHOULD MAKE THEM REALISE THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.

 IN THE LAST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ALL HAVE TO FIGHT TOGETHER TO ERADICATE THIS DEADLY DISEASE FROM THE WORLD.