Health Niche

Cancer cannot be defined under the category of a single disease. These uncanny unpredictable malignancies included in cancer can literally affect every organ of human body. Thus to curb this emerging menace, cancer research is the reliable tool.

Cancer research helps in the identification of the respective causes of cancer and develops the strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and cure for cancer. The various features those are included in cancer research

*  Molecular bioscience
*  Epidemology
*  Clinical trials and comparison of various cancer treatments
*  Cancer applications, which range from therapy of hormone, chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, gene therapy, immunotherapy etc.
*  Functioning strategies of cancer research

The areas of research for cancer treatment are basically genetics, environmental and chemical factors, mutations, diet, etc. Cancer research includes the discovery of tumour suppressor genes. These genes play a decisive role in researching about the innumerable cancer types. It also includes a detailed study regarding the stages of oncogenes, the dramatic cell proliferation, development of tumours, 

Institutes for cancer research

There has been a tremendous increase in the number of institutes conducting cancer research. More that four hundred million dollars in invested in these institutes by the government, charitable institutions and pharmaceutical industries. Some of the renowned cancer research institutes are American Association for Cancer Research, Cancer Research UK, Dana-farber/ Harvard Cancer Centre, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

Recent Updates

The number of deaths caused by cancer has witnessed an apparent decrease in the past years. New York Times recently revealed that there has been a tremendous decrease of around twelve thousand deaths caused due to cancer when compared with the early nineties.  There has been prominent research in the cancer types including prostate, breast and lung.

Advances in breast cancer research

It has been discovered that the xenoestrogens normally found in cosmetic, nail polish removers, lotions, pesticides and insecticides cause hormonal imbalances and disrupt the normal functioning of the immunity system.

Advances in lung cancer research

It has been discovered that early detection of ultra violet photography helps in reducing chances of skin lesions and skin cancer. UV camera and photodynamic therapy is another evolving tool for the diagnosis.  
 

Advances in prostate cancer research

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancer types affecting males. The Prostate specific antigen test is one of its diagnosis tools. The specific reasons behind the causes of prostate cancer are still unknown. It has been discovered that prostate cancer mostly affects the black men. It has also been discovered that anti-inflammatory medicines, for example aspirin helps in reducing the chances of prostate cancer.

Drawbacks of cancer research

One of the setbacks to the ever-evolving cancer research is the discovery of treatments, which focus a minority of cancer types. In addition to it, the entire research for changes and their implementation in the cancer cases is quite slow. Thus there is no focussed treatment tuned for every individual cancer patient. Though the usage of natural cellular defense has aided in granting remission to for cancer patients serving at their fourth stage, there has been no amalgamation of allopathic and herbal drugs so far.

Thus, it’s a subject of serious consequences whether the cancer research of today is really fast paced and evolving or just incompetent to meet the needs of cancer patients.

There are different forms of cancer that can occur in the living beings. All different kinds of cancer, begin with the body cells. Human body is made up with many cells and when these cells expand they outgrow other cells, which are necessary to keep the body healthy. When these cells die, other cells are formed. But when these new cells are not formed in the correct manner or when they are formed at the time when the body does not require them, these extra cells results in cancer or tumour.  

Cancer occurs when the group of cells show uncontrolled growth further from the normal limits. 

Cancer takes place in people belonging to any age group. However, it is said that it increases or causes severe pain with the increment in the age.  According to a survey, it was found that 13% of deaths are caused due to cancer. 

All cancers are the result of irregularities in the genetic material of the distorted cells. It occurs due to inhalation of tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or through infectious agents. The cells of cancer are formed from the normal cells because of amendment or mutations of DNA or RNA. These mutations occur suddenly or due to other factors such as nuclear radiation, ultra-violet rays or through electromagnetic rays. These generate mutations, which result into cancer. 

Cancer cells can spread to the other part of the body through the blood circulation or through lymph systems. Cancer is not a one kind of disease and there are many kinds of cancer. The main among its kinds are:

·         Carcinoma- In this type cancer begins in the tissue or in the skin or it can cover the internal organs of the body.

·         Sarcoma-in this cancer begins or starts with the bones, muscles, blood vessels, or in other connective or loyal tissue.

·         Leukaemia-here cancer starts in the blood- organising tissue such as the bone core and causes the numbers of blood cells to be organised and thus enter the blood.

·         Lymphoma and myeloma-in this cancer begins in the cells of the immune system.

·         Central nervous systems- here cancer occurs in the brain or in the spinal cord.

There are only three ways for treating cancer that is through surgery, radiation or through chemotherapy. But with enhancement in levels of research, specific treatments are developing in order to cure different kinds of cancer. The targeted therapies have shown progress specially in deducting the abnormalities in certain cells.

Radiation and chemotherapy destroys the immune system. The respective cancer can again crop up in future if a person has taken the treatment of radiation or chemotherapy early before the correct period. All these methods only shrivel the cancer; they don’t help in removing the disease entirely. Radiation also causes damage to the normal cells of the body. Thus cancer refers to the class of diseases so it is improbable to say that there will be a single cure for cancer treatment. 

Cancer, being a chronic disease, should be treated with utmost care. In your quest to fight with this severe disease, the role of the doctor who treats you and helps you fight this disease also become important. Consultation with an oncologist and a cancer specialist is must for every cancer patient.

National Cancer Institute is a leading institute giving out excellent doctors dedicated towards cancer treatment. Doctors play quite an important role in educating people about the disease. They are the one’s who launch new initiatives and keep people posted about new techniques and treatment methods for cancer. Since cancer doctors are in extensive touch with family members and relatives, they are the ones who can provide valuable guidance and advice to family members.

Cancer Doctors can help their patients in getting out of the disease. They can advice their patients and their relatives about life style, eating habits. They also ask their patients to keep away from smoking or eating of junk food. This advice proves more valuable as compared to the drugs and medical treatment.

Department of Health is another active institute that provides timely guidelines regarding up gradation of any medical treatment and technology. As a cancer patient, it is quite important for you to stay in regular touch with your doctor and seek their advice without fail. While deciding on curing treatment, your doctors can better advice as to which medical cancer treatment would your body respond to. They help you know that whether you should go for surgery, radiation therapy or for hormone therapy. Surgery or radiation therapy performed, depends entirely on how proficient the cancer doctor is as performing his task.

Cancer doctors also play an important role in giving you guidelines on the estimated cost likely to be incurred in the treatment of an acute cancer. They realize that cost plays an important role in helping you decide the type of treatment you should go for. Hence, they give you correct estimate of the cost and nuances involved in each type of treatment.

Information about oncologists and cancer doctors can be obtained from different associations and institutes. Journal of clinical oncology, annals of oncology, American journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine etc provide you details about the top oncologists in India and abroad.  Internet is another important medium by which you can obtain details about good can treatment hospitals and institutes. It would also keep you up to date regarding any developments in this field.

Patients and their family members usually place 100% faith in their doctor and oncologist. This exceeds the amount of faith that they place in God. However, a cancer patient should remember that visiting a doctor and following his suggestions or ideas is only the beginning. You need to take complete care of yourself and your diet. 

Prevention is better than cure. However, if you become a victim of cancer you should make no delay in contacting oncologist and following his advice religiously. 

Treatment is the only way by which you can cure this disease.

There are different types of cancer treatment available in the market to cure cancer. Some are safe and mild, while others are little strong and harsh for the body. Depending upon your bodily strength and will power, you should choose the right type of treatment for yourself. There are chemical treatments as well as surgery treatments as well as herbal treatments.

In the below section, we discuss in detail the different types of cancer treatment methods:

Chemotherapy:

The most commonly used method for cancer treatment is chemotherapy. It is also used as a supplementary method along with various other treatment methods like surgery and radiation therapy. The treatment is aimed at attacking the cancer generating cells in the body and stopping their growth in the body. One of the most harsh and strong methods of fighting cancer, chemotherapy has several side effects like blackening of skin, hair fall and baldness, loss of appetite. However, not all people notice or face these side effects. 

Chemotherapy works to destroy growth of any new cancer cell in the body, any recurring cancer cells as well as to destroy the cancer cells that do not get destroyed because of surgery. The type of drugs to be used depends upon your medical condition as well as your medical history. Chemotherapy can be done through injections or by taking pills or by rubbing a cream on your skin or by feeding the medicine in your artery.

Surgical Treatment:

Surgical treatment for cancer is adopted when there is a lump formation in any particular part of the body. In such circumstances, it is easily possible to cut out that portion, i.e. the tumour and any surrounding tissues, and separate it from the body. However, surgery cannot necessarily be used to cure cancer. It can’t be used when the cancer cells are wide spread in the body and do not affect any specific organ.  Once surgery is done, doctors often follow it by chemotherapy to completely remove cancer cells.

Radiotherapy:

It is also possible to cure cancer with the use of radiation. The therapy that uses radiation is called as Radiotherapy. Radiation is nothing but a special type of gamma or x-rays used to damage or hurt the cancerous cells and stops their multiplication.

Biological Therapy:

Proteins are used in order to build up the immunity system by creating white blood cells in your body and to fight the destruction creating cancer cells. Ability to produce cancer-killing cells, called the T-cell and B-cell is increased with the help of proteins.

Herbal Treatments:

Combination of natural herbs can be used for curing cancer. Usually, such treatment methods are safe and do not involve any side effects. The treatment process, however, progresses a little slowly.

Hormone therapy:

This is used to cure breast cancer or incidence of prostate cancer. This therapy blocks the cancer producing hormones from staying active. Medication is also provided to block the body from producing cancer-generating hormone. This treatment is used to affect the cancer diseases that are fuelled due to a particular hormone growth.

Before deciding upon the right type of treatment, it is essential to consult your doctor and to seek his advice as to the right type of treatment for you.

Cancer is a chronic disease that usually shows little common signs and symptoms. However, to ensure that you do not become an easy prey to this disease, you need to stay alert and find out the roots and causes of this disease. Although there are no specific signs pointing towards the occurrence of this disease, there are certain symptoms, which, when discovered should be immediately followed and tested by medical examination. In order to ensure that the complaint is a harmless one, you should get it tested.

Following are some most commonly registered signs and symptoms of cancer:

* Frequent headache
* Irregular eating and loss of feeling to eat, reduced appetite and sudden weight loss are also common symptoms associated with cancer.
* Sudden loss of memory
* Inability to remember things and events
* Persistent cough affecting your lungs, head and chest. Though this could also be a symptom of much controlled condition called bronchitis, it is better to get it examined and tested to ensure that there is no blood clot or clogging in your mucus area
* Blood in your urine as well as stool. This can happen due to regular anaemic condition as well as due to insufficient reproduction of red blood cells or due to lesser number of the same.
* Anaemia should be tested with x-ray and endoscopies in order to find out the main cause of blood loss. Sometimes blood loss is quite normal, as in the case of women undergoing their menstrual cycles
* Lump formation in the breast area: this is the most common cause of cancer these days. Many women notice or see formation of a lump or a bulk in their breast area. This should be immediately examined. Many a times these breast lumps are quite normal and non – cancerous. However, it is better to get them examined in order to avoid further complications. Breast discharge is another cause of concern.

Breast discharge especially through one single nipple should not be ignored and should be immediately brought to the notice of the doctor or health specialist. Women should also conduct self-test and examination with their breast in order to check any activity or lump formation.

As female see formation of lumps in their breasts, male might see lumps formation in their testicles. Male should also undertake testicles self-examination test to avoid any damage to their health. Swelling in the veins running through your testicles or an uncomfortable lump should be examined.

Irregular urine patterns and blood signs or drops seen in urine might signal towards an incidence of cancer. Irregular urine patterns include smaller amount of urine and frequent urine urge. You should get the PSA test done for the same. Similarly, blood in urine might signal bladder cancer. Investigation is compulsory.

Wounds and sores that take quite long to heal and show no signs of improvement might signal towards presence of cancer cells in your body. Hence, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Swelling in your back or a specific bone area, back ache and similar problems might signal towards presence of bone cancer. To remove all your doubts, you should get x-rays done.