Cancer: The Different Types of Cancer and Their Symptoms

What is cancer?

Cancer is a medical term that includes a wide group of diseases characterized by abnormal growth of cells that divide without control and have the ability to penetrate tissues and destroy healthy tissues in the body, which leads to old cells not dying and continuing to grow, which can occur in any part of the body. This results in the formation of masses of tissue known as tumors and the appearance of symptoms of cancer.

Cancer is a medical term that includes a wide group of diseases characterized by abnormal growth of cells that divide without control and have the ability to penetrate tissues and destroy healthy tissues in the body.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, but the odds of curing cancer are constantly improving in most types, due to advances in early cancer detection methods and cancer treatment options.

Cancer stages are usually designated in Roman numerals from I to IV, with a higher number indicating that the cancer is more advanced. In some cases, the stage of cancer is indicated using letters or a verbal description.
Cancer is not limited to humans, as it is a disease that can affect animals and other living organisms.

Symptoms of cancer

The symptoms of cancer vary from one case to another depending on the organ affected by the cancer. The symptoms of cancer depend on its type, location, and whether it has spread to other places in the body or not. However, some symptoms may indicate the risk of the person suffering from cancer, and require testing. If there is any change in the body that continues for a period of time and has no clear explanation, these symptoms include the following:

- Constant fatigue and exhaustion.

- High temperature without a known cause, which may be continuous or intermittent.

- The appearance of lumps or swellings under the skin.

- Unintended weight changes, whether by increase or decrease.

- Skin changes such as yellowing, the appearance of dark areas or red spots, wounds that do not heal, or changes in moles.

- Changes in bowel or bladder functioning patterns.

- Persistent cough or change in voice.

- Hoarseness.

- Difficulty swallowing or indigestion.

- The appearance of lumps in the breast or testicles or an increase in their thickness.

- Obvious changes in the size, color, shape, or thickness of warts or moles.

- Skin ulcers for no apparent reason.

- Constipation or change in defecation habits.

- Blood in the stool or urine, or abnormal secretions.

- Abdominal pain or problems swallowing.

- Persistent sore throat without improvement.

- Bleeding or unusual secretions from the breast.

Other possible symptoms include:

- New pain in the bones or other parts of the body that may be continuous or intermittent and different from any previous pain.

- Other skin changes such as redness, sores that do not heal, or jaundice.

- Constant nausea and vomiting.

- Frequently developing infectious diseases that do not respond to traditional treatments.

It is important to note that these symptoms may be an indicator of diseases other than cancer, but they should not be neglected and a doctor should be consulted to confirm their cause. For example, people with lung cancer experience chest pain, bleeding when they cough, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue, while the symptoms of anal cancer differ slightly from the general symptoms of cancer.

Causes of cancer

Cancer develops as a result of damage or abnormalities in the human body's genes, which contain a set of instructions prepared for the body's cells that determine how to grow, develop, and divide. 

It is generated as a result of a mutation that occurs in a chain of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) found in cells, which results in damage including growth, functions, division, and death, an imbalance between the normal growth of cells and their death.
Healthy cells sometimes tend to make changes in their DNA, but they are still able to correct most of these changes, but if they are unable to make these corrections, the damaged cells often die.
However, some of these deviations cannot be corrected, which leads to the growth of these cells and their transformation into cancer cells. This phenomenon causes the accumulation of cancer cells.

How does a person get cancer?

1. There are many factors that cause cancer, including:
- Genetic deviations
- Environmental factors
-Germs
- Lifestyle and diet
- Radiation
- Medicines
- Some chemicals and metals
2. Genetic changes can be transmitted genetically or occur as a result of internal factors such as hormones and viruses or external factors such as ultraviolet radiation and carcinogenic chemicals.
3. Not all types of cancer produce tumors, such as leukemia, which affects blood cells and the lymphatic system and does not produce a tumor.
The probability of developing cancer increases with increased exposure to risk factors and may decrease with increased strength of the immune response.
It is difficult to determine the causes of cancer due to their diversity and complexity.
4. Risk factors include:
- the age
- Lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol
- Exposure to sunlight
- Family history
- General health situation
- Living environment
- Cancer can take several decades to develop, so it is often diagnosed after the age of 55.
People who smoke and drink alcohol a lot are more susceptible to cancer.
Having multiple sunburns increases the risk of skin cancer.
5. About 10% of cancer cases are genetic, and some chronic diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, increase the probability of developing certain types of cancer.
The environment we live in and the chemicals surrounding us can increase the risk of cancer.

How is cancer diagnosed?

Diagnosing cancer in its early stages increases the chances of recovery. Diagnosis can be made during routine examinations, often when symptoms or tumors appear.

Diagnosis includes a physical examination that includes the patient's medical history, laboratory tests such as blood, urine, and stool analysis, and imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and biopsies to confirm the presence of cancer cells.

Early screening aims to detect tumors before symptoms appear, and tumors that can be diagnosed early include breast cancer through periodic mammograms, colorectal cancer through stool examination or endoscopy, and skin cancer through periodic examination.

Cancer is a medical term that includes a wide group of diseases characterized by abnormal growth of cells that divide without control and have the ability to penetrate tissues and destroy healthy tissues in the body.

The American Cancer Society recommends regular screening for breast cancer for women aged 40 and over, cervical cancer for women aged 21 and over, colon cancer for men and women aged 50 and over, and prostate cancer for men aged 50 and over.

After diagnosis, the doctor determines the stage of the cancer and decides on appropriate treatment methods.

Cancer treatment

Cancer treatment consists of various treatments, and the choice of treatment depends on several factors, such as: the type and stage of cancer, the patient’s general health status, and his personal preference.

Cancer treatment goals:

1. Eliminate cancer cells: Treatment aims to kill or remove all cancer cells from the body.

2. Preventing cancer from returning: Treatment aims to prevent the cancer from returning in the future.

3. Alleviating symptoms: Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms caused by cancer, such as pain, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

Available treatments:

1. Surgery: Removal of the cancerous tumor and surrounding tissue.

2. Chemotherapy: The use of drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body.

3. Radiation therapy: using radiation to kill cancer cells.

4. Immunotherapy: Stimulating the immune system to fight cancer.

5. Hormone therapy: Controlling the hormones that help some types of cancer grow.

6. Targeted therapy: targeting cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

7. Stem cell transplantation: replacing damaged cells with chemotherapy or radiation.

8. Dynamic phototherapy: Using light and dye to kill cancer cells.

Palliative treatment:

Palliative treatment aims to improve the quality of life of cancer patients by alleviating the side effects of treatment and helping to deal with the psychological effects of the disease.

Noting the following:

• Cancer treatment may involve a combination of different treatments.

• The choice of treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer, the patient’s general health status, and personal preference.

• It is important to consult an oncologist to discuss available treatment options.

• The effectiveness of treatments and recovery time may vary from person to person. 

How can cancer be prevented?

 Many specialists believe that it is possible to prevent many types of cancer, or at least reduce the risk of contracting them, as following some things helps prevent cancer, and these things include the following:

Stop smoking: avoid exposure to smoke and sources of air pollution.

Follow a healthy diet: reduce processed foods and focus on vegetables and fruits.

Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.

Protection from the sun: using sunscreen and wearing appropriate clothing.

Obtaining vaccinations: especially against viral diseases associated with cancer.

Regular examinations: to detect cancer early and increase the chances of recovery.

Avoid dangerous practices such as practicing unprotected sex and using shared injections.

Doctors recommend quitting smoking, avoiding excessive exposure to the sun, maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, getting checked regularly, and consulting a doctor about available vaccines.

What is the prognosis of cancer?

The prognosis of cancer depends on its type and stage at the time of diagnosis. Many types of skin cancer can be treated completely by removing the cancerous skin tissue. The prognosis of cancer also worsens as its stages advance, spread throughout the body, or move to the lymph nodes.

It is possible to cure some tumors completely, and many people believe that tumors always come back even if they disappear for some stage. The truth is that many tumors are advanced and cannot be cured, but many tumors are also completely eliminated and the patient recovers completely from them if they are treated. 

Correctly at an early stage, which emphasizes the importance of treatment by a specialist in this field and emphasizes the importance of early examination.

Alternative treatments

It has not been conclusively proven that alternative treatments lead to a cure for cancer, but the possibilities of alternative medicine may help counteract the effects and alleviate the symptoms of cancer and the side effects resulting from its treatments, such as fatigue, nausea, and pain.

These treatments include the following:

1-Relaxation Techniques
2-Acupuncture
3-Therapeutic Fasting
4-Massage
5-Hypnosis
6-Meditation