Cancer Treatment
Cancer is a disease that starts when cells in the body begin to grow and divide out of control. It also can spread to other parts of the body where it grows and forms new tumors. Cancer treatment is an ongoing process to prevent the cancer from spreading and killing more healthy cells, stop it from growing, or even make it go away completely. The type of treatment your healthcare provider recommends depends on the type of cancer you have and how far it has spread.
When a person is diagnosed with cancer, he or she may feel depressed or anxious. Talking with other people who have cancer or who have survived it may help, either in person or online through cancer support groups. Ask your healthcare team about cancer support services in your area.
There are many different types of cancer, and each one begins in a different type of cell. The genetic changes that cause cancer can be inherited or develop due to certain environmental exposures. They are the result of natural selection, where accumulated mutations give some cells an advantage in terms of growth, survival, and ability to pass their advantageous traits to offspring.
Unlike normal cells, cancer cells are able to ignore the signals that tell them to stop growing and to die. They can also escape from the tissue that contains them by entering blood vessels, which carry them to other places in the body where they form new tumors. Cancer cells can also affect the surrounding cells, molecules, and blood vessels that feed and supply them with nutrients and oxygen, and they can co-opt normal noncancerous tissues to serve their needs.
Scientists have recognized that cancer results from a sequence of driver mutations, and they have begun to understand the mechanisms by which this happens. But they still don’t know why mutations occur in the first place.
The genetic changes that lead to cancer can affect how fast cancer cells grow, how much they reproduce, and how well they move through the tissues of the body. It’s possible that some mutations happen early in life and that other mutations accumulate over time, like a person’s cellular aging.
There are many different ways to treat cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and medicines. The goal is to keep the cancer from spreading, reduce your symptoms, and help you live longer. Cancer treatments are getting better all the time. If you are diagnosed with cancer, your healthcare team will decide what kind of treatment is best for you based on the type of cancer you have, its stage (how far it has spread), and your other health problems. The sooner you start cancer treatment, the better your chance of surviving it. Your healthcare provider will also consider your age and other health conditions when recommending treatment.
Cancer is a disease that starts when cells in the body begin to grow and divide out of control. It also can spread to other parts of the body where it grows and forms new tumors. Cancer treatment is an ongoing process to prevent the cancer from spreading and killing more healthy cells, stop it from growing, or even make it go away completely. The type of treatment your healthcare provider recommends depends on the type of cancer you have and how far it has spread. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, he or she may feel depressed or anxious. Talking with other people who have cancer or who have survived it may help, either in person or online through cancer support groups. Ask your healthcare team about cancer support services in your area. There are many different types of cancer, and each one begins in a different type of cell. The genetic changes that cause cancer can be inherited or develop due to certain environmental exposures. They are the result of natural selection, where accumulated mutations give some cells an advantage in terms of growth, survival, and ability to pass their advantageous traits to offspring. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells are able to ignore the signals that tell them to stop growing and to die. They can also escape from the tissue that contains them by entering blood vessels, which carry them to other places in the body where they form new tumors. Cancer cells can also affect the surrounding cells, molecules, and blood vessels that feed and supply them with nutrients and oxygen, and they can co-opt normal noncancerous tissues to serve their needs. Scientists have recognized that cancer results from a sequence of driver mutations, and they have begun to understand the mechanisms by which this happens. But they still don’t know why mutations occur in the first place. The genetic changes that lead to cancer can affect how fast cancer cells grow, how much they reproduce, and how well they move through the tissues of the body. It’s possible that some mutations happen early in life and that other mutations accumulate over time, like a person’s cellular aging. There are many different ways to treat cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and medicines. The goal is to keep the cancer from spreading, reduce your symptoms, and help you live longer. Cancer treatments are getting better all the time. If you are diagnosed with cancer, your healthcare team will decide what kind of treatment is best for you based on the type of cancer you have, its stage (how far it has spread), and your other health problems. The sooner you start cancer treatment, the better your chance of surviving it. Your healthcare provider will also consider your age and other health conditions when recommending treatment.