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*What is
cancer ?
Cancer is a group of more than 100
different diseases. It is a disease
of cells, which undergo abnormal multiplications leading to the formation of
an abnormal mass. Not all tumors are malignant (cancerous). There are benign tumors, which are not harmful and don’t affect other body
systems, in contrast to malignant ones. If the tumor is left untreated it can
invade and destroy healthy tissues and spread through the bloodstream and
lymphatic system to other parts of the body. This what we call
METASTATIC disease.
*How is cancer treated ?
Cancer is treated with surgery, radiation therapy,
chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biological therapy. Doctors may use
one method or a combination of methods. The choice of treatment depends on
many factors including
the type, stage and location of the tumor, along with the extent of the disease,
the
patient’s age, general health and so on.
*What is chemotherapy ?
Chemotherapy is the application of chemical drugs to stop the growth and
kill cancer cells. They are almost always administrated in the form of a
cycle. This is the process in which chemotherapy is given followed by a period
of rest in which the body is allowed to recover. Chemotherapy drugs are
available in both the oral and the IV form.
For details about chemotherapy, press
Here
*What is hormonal therapy ?
These are drugs that act on specific receptors in the
body. They act by blocking, removing or adding hormones in order to inhibit cancer cells
from further growth. Hormonal therapy plays a very active role in breast,
thyroid and prostate tumors.
*What is radiotherapy ?
These are high energy radiation beams which are
carefully focused on the tumor to kill the cancer cells. They are similar to
x-rays used in diagnostic imaging but are administered at much greater doses . Radiotherapy is a
local form of therapy acting only on the exposed area for radiation unlike
chemotherapy & hormone therapy which are systemic forms of treatment.
*What is bone marrow
?
Bone marrow is the material found inside our bones
containing the stem cells or in other words the mother cells of all our
blood cells. These stem cells are immature. They mature over a certain period
of time into three types of cells which are the red blood cells (RBCs),
white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets. These cells have vital functions to
perform as delivering oxygen to tissues & organs , fighting infections and
blood clotting.
*What is a bone marrow
transplant ?
A process in which the stem cells are removed from the
body followed by administration of very high doses of chemotherapy &
radiotherapy. The reason why the stem cells are removed is to avoid being
destroyed by the high dose of chemotherapy. There are two types of bone
marrow transplant. The first is called
AUTOLOGOUS
TRANSPLANT in which the patient own stem cells are re-injected
after administration of high dose chemotherapy. The other one is called
ALLOGENIC TRANSPLANT
in which the stem
cells of a healthy MATCHING donor is injected instead.
*Can certain diet habits
cause cancer ?
There is a lot of controversy around the issue of diet
causing cancer. Some studies have shown that high animal fat diet is
associated with high probability of developing colon, breast and prostate
cancer. But as a matter of fact, diet ONLY is not to be blamed on
developing such types of cancer. Many other more significant factors are
more liable to increase the patient's risk of obtaining cancer.
*Is cancer curable ?
By all means, YES. In the past ten years, The field of
oncology has achieved many major steps in the science of cancer treatment. New
generations of chemotherapy drugs along with biological and molecular therapy
are now available.
Nowadays, almost 80% of cancers have more than one line of treatment available,
all with a higher potential for complete cure. However, the chances for
complete cure varies
according to the type, grade and stage of the disease.
*Can cancer be
preventable ?
Many cases of cancer can be prevented through ceasing
the consumption of
tobacco products, avoiding the harmful rays of the sun, and choosing foods
with less fat and more fiber. Furthermore, regular checkups and self-exams
can reveal cancer at an early stage, which is when treatment is more likely to be effective.
OTHER RELATED TOPICS:
Copyright © 2004 [Cairo Oncology Center].
Revised: 07/28/05.
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