Cancer

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a condition where the cells in a person's body begin to reproduce and grow unnecessarily. These growths, known as tumors, are not fought by the body's immune system because they are recognized as the body's own cells. These cells will continue to grow causing damage to the involved organ and eventually spreading to other organs. There over 100 recognized types of cancer.

What Are the Symptoms of Cancer?

The symptoms of cancer vary widely based on which organ is involved in the original growth. For instance, if the cancerous tumor is growing on the liver, the person may exhibit symptoms of liver disease, if the pancreas is involved, then symptoms of diabetes of EPI may present themselves. In some cases, like breast or skin cancer, the symptoms include lumps or unusual growths under the skin.

What Are the Causes of Cancer?

With so many types of cancer, it is difficult to determine an exact cause of all of them. Some cancers are known to be caused by:

• Environmental exposure to cancer causing agents
• Smoking
• Genetics
• Consumption of certain chemicals

Can Any Complications Arise If Left Untreated?

Left untreated, cancer will continue to grow and spread throughout the body. It will continue to damage any organs the tumors grow in. As these organs are damaged, symptoms associated with the dysfunction of that organ will begin to show themselves. This will cause more health problems, pain and ultimately death. Some general signs of a problem that may be cancer include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Digestive problems
• Pain in a specific area that does not go away and increases in intensity over time
• Unexplained bleeding and bruising
• Physical and emotional depression

What Medications Treat Cancer?

There has been a great deal of progress made in the treatment of many cancers in recent years. Some of them are now treated with cells from the affected person's body that have been treated to recognize the cancer cells as foreign bodies and attack them. There are also more traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. There are thousands of medications available to treat cancers, a few of these include:

• Abraxane
• Bleomycin
• Caprelsa
• Dacogen
• Femara
• Halaven
• Raloxifene

References:

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/drugs

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer

https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/cancer-basics/what-cancer

Common medications may include