Knowing the following main causes for skin cancer will help to prevent and fight against the disease.  They are:

1. Ultraviolet rays of the sun – The ultraviolet and ultraviolet B from the sun rays are the first major cause to skin cancer. UVB are the cause for sunburn and skin reddening. UVA rays are causing more damage to skin which are permanent in nature.

2. Family History – It is found that the risk of skin cancer is additional to people with history of skin cancer to their family members especially to their parents. Is someone in the maternal or fraternal family history is affected it is suggested to be extra cautious on skin cancer.

3. Chemical Exposure – There are chemicals which harm our skin.  The best example for harmful chemical is Insecticides.  Insecticides contain arsenic and it is dangerous to skin. Pesticides could increase the chances of skin cancer. Apart from pesticide people working in petroleum derivatives and coal tar are prone to develop skin cancer.

4. Smoking — Mouth and Lung cancers are caused due to smoking. Further it is recently studied that smoking could cause skin cancer also.

5. Radiation Exposure – It is found that the paramedical people who work among X-Rays are subjected to skin cancer widely. Sometimes the patients who take frequent x-rays are also prone to skin cancer.  While taking radioactive treatment for cancer found in another part of the body, it will affect the skin and become the cause for skin cancer.

6. Geography and Skin Type -In tropical and subtropical regions people having fair skin have very high chances for skin cancer. Serious injuries not healed immediately would lift up the possibility for skin cancer.

7. Poor Immune System – A good immune system guard against all bacteria. It fights against the cancerous cells too. If the immune system is powerful, the antibodies will eliminate the unwanted cells and bacterial form the body. Poor immune system fails to do the above.

Veganism is a way of life following a lifestyle of avoiding animals for all purpose.  Vegans, the followers of veganism will not consume any kind of animal products.  Vegans made an ethical commitment to prevent animal killing for food, cloth and for all purpose of human living.  It is a culture of living with nature and eating purely vegetarian foods.  They love all living creatures and they are against killing of animals for food and for medical research.

The good things to learn from vegans are the vegetarian food they eat, the cotton cloth they wore and the clean and natural atmosphere they live.  An intensive study was conducted by the scientist on various groups and societies of different food culture.  The study has revealed that among the society of vegetarian food eaters the cancer cases are very low.

When compared with vegetarian food lovers the meat eaters suffer in larger numbers by cancer.  It is further studied that the coloring agents used while cooking the meat and animal flesh are risky which work as agents for cancer.  Meat eaters suffer from obesity. The extra fat and protein content of the meat is the cause for unwanted glands and tumors, which later develops cancer cells.

All cancer institutes, worldwide, are reporting an enormous number of people suffering from stomach cancer.  The stomach cancers are caused mainly due to the unhealthy food habits and foods.  It is found that avoiding meat will lower the stomach cancer ratio.  The required proteins are available in good amount in vegetarian foods; so, avoiding the meat will reduce the chance of cancer.

When we control the foods on our dining plate definitely it will control the chances of cancer. It is hard to follow all the principles of veganism since they are against the use of shoes made up of animal skin, the belt from animal skin and any bag or ornamentals with the help of animal skin. It is very easy to follow the principle of eating vegetarian food alone from veganism. Let us follow at least the one principle of veganism of eating vegetarian foods and prevent cancer lifelong.

Being diagnosed with cancer doesn’t have to be the worst day of one’s life. With timely help, one may be cured, or at least prevent the tumor from developing further. But cancer does bring with itself a long To-Do list and checking all points on that list can be quite a task. But it is certainly not unachievable if one can gather the mental courage to deal with cancer.

From the time one is confirmed as a cancer patient, one must not lose hope. Family and close friends are the best places to seek support. Educate oneself on the condition and ways to kill that cancer. Engage oneself in hobbies and joyous activities such as: painting, gardening, writing, watching films, listening and playing music or reading. Spend more time in the company of loved ones. Happiness plays a huge role in accelerating the treatment.

Talk to doctors and nurse and seek their advice. One may also visit a therapist. Professional help makes it easier to cope with cancer mentally. There are a number of institutes and NGOs that offer monetary help as well. Lack of funds for treatment is gradually being ruled out as an option at all, thanks to good Samaritans.

Apart from mental coping, cancer is heavy on the physical body and takes a toll on it. Regular chemotherapy sessions and heavy doses of medicine often weaken the body. Such a lack of energy can be upped by a special diet that supplies the required nutrients to the body. Hair loss is one major side-effect of chemo sessions and must be tackled mentally. Realization and conviction that such a stage is temporary and will soon pass to be back to normal is half the work done.

A cancer patient can derive great hope and inspiration from reading stories of other people who have successfully survived cancer and are living a normal, happy life once again. Once cured, the patient can chose to inspire others with their story and be proud of one’s survival.

Finding the perfect cure to cancer is a dream discovery for most scientists. And while the cure eludes us, some of the world’s finest brains are engaged in research of the nectar that will be the millennia’s best discovery. This said…there are several breakthroughs that have been greatly successful in curbing the growth of cancer. The most popular name stands at ‘Chemotherapy.’

Chemotherapy, a treatment that makes the use of chemical agents and drug, is used as per the stage the cancer has reached in the patient’s body. Accordingly, chemotherapy, often referred to as just ‘Chemo,’ can cure cancer in rare cases. When that is no longer possible, chemo is applied to the patient as an attempt to control the malignant tumor and stop it from spreading to other tissues in the body. Chemo may be used in combination with radiation therapy, where chemo shrinks the tumor before the therapy. In some cases, chemo offers the same benefit before surgical removal of the tumor, or after the surgery, to kill microscopic cells as a preventive measure.

Apart from chemotherapy, there are various alternatives available, according to the patient’s faith in them. Some find respite in holistic healing or Ayurveda, some rely solely on radiation therapy. Few among other common approaches are: hyperthermia (heat therapy), metabolic therapy, homeopathy, psychological therapy, Ozone therapy (oxygen therapy), detoxification and special vaccines. Also, there are several studies and researches currently undertaken to be able to extract a cure from numerous plants and herbs. Some of these techniques include mixtures of roots or leaves of particular plants, while many advocate the qualities of exotic herbs found in rare places.

There are several institutes and organizations dedicated solely to the cause of cancer research, treatment, prevention and education. Few notables among them are: American Association for Cancer Research, U.S, Cancer Research UK (UK), National Foundation for Cancer Research, U.S., and TATA Memorial Centre, India. Every year, millions of Dollars are spent by such organizations in the hope to find the ultimate remedy to cancer.

What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease that is characterized by uninhibited cell growth. There are several kinds of cancer, and each one of them is classified by the type of cell that infected them. Cancer damages the body by dividing the out-of-control cells that form lumps or masses of tissues called tumors. Tumors can grow and hinder the normal function of the digestive, nervous and circulatory systems. Tumors can stay where the cancer cells originate and demonstrate limited growth, known as benign tumor. Malignant tumors are tumors that are aggressive and have the ability to travel throughout your body. When a tumor has successfully spread and grows to other parts of the body, this process is called metastasis.

What are the different types of cancer?

These are some of the most common cancer types in the United States.

The most common type of cancer is the skin cancer or also known as nonmelanoma skin cancer. Over 1,000,000 men and women are diagnosed with this kind of cancer.  Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis. Most skin cancer is detectable in an early stage and can be easily treated.

Colon and rectal cancer are often referred as colorectal cancer. For 2009, the estimated new cases of colorectal are 146,970. This type of cancer starts at the colon.

Kidney cancer includes renal, transitional cell carcinoma, and Wilms tumor. Some symptoms are blood in the urine, abdominal lump, pain and tiredness. These can be treated by chemotherapy, radiology, biological therapy or surgery, it depends o what stage the cancer is.

Prostate cancer is a cancer that develops in the reproductive system of men.  This cancer tends to develop at the age of 50. Prostate cancer may cause pain while urinating, problems with sexual intercourse and erectile dysfunction.

Thyroid cancer has the lowest number of incidence. The estimated number of new cases for 2009 is 37,200.

Most cancers are preventable in early stages. All we need to do is to know the cause and the risk factors to avoid it. It is the first step in cancer prevention.

Like other types of cancer, cancer of the lung is the result of malfunctioning or abnormalities in the cell (the body’s basic unit of life).It is a disease of an unrestrained cell increase in tissues of the lung. The growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of the adjacent tissues and the infiltration of lungs. Normally, the body maintains a system of check, and balances the cell growth. It only replaces cells if it is necessary.  Interruption of this system check of cell growth will lead to uncontrolled division and proliferation that will eventually turn to a mass called tumor.

Tumor is a tissue that forms an abnormal mass.  Tumor can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors can be easily removed, and it does not spread to the other parts of the body while a malignant tumor grows aggressively and infiltrates other parts of the body. When we say cancer, we usually refer to tumors that are malignant. The process of spreading is called Metastasis. Lung cancer tends to spread or metastasis in the early stages. Cancer of the lung is a life threatening disease.  It is the deadliest cancer and is responsible for over a million deaths of men and women worldwide per year.  According to the American cancer society, there are about 215,020 for new cases of lung cancer.

Here are some of the causes of lung cancer. Cigarette smoking is the major contributor of lung cancer. Around 90% of lung cancer deaths are because of smoking.  A person, who is smoking one pack of cigarettes, can develop this disease 25 times more than a non smoking person. Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke from a person who is smoking.  It is also called second hand smoking. It can also harm you and can cause lung cancer. Radon gas, asbestos, age, pre-existing lung cancer and air pollution are also some of the causes of lung cancer.

The most common symptoms are shortness in breathing, severe cough, and sudden loss of weight. This disease can be detected through chest radiograph and computed tomography (CT scan). The diagnosis is confirmed by Biopsy. Possible treatments for lung cancer are chemotherapy, radiology, and surgery.  The five year survival rate for cancer of the lungs is 14%.

“Great advancements have been made, but cancer is still the leading cause of death for people under the age of 85. In the United States, one in every four people die from cancer.” – BioDigital System’s Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon

Shocking isn’t it? It’s about 25% of the people in the United States dies from cancer. So, what causes cancer anyway? Well, the uncontrolled growth of cells and for it to not die is the main culprit of such disease, called cancer. Supposedly, a cell is programmed to grow and die and when these cells don’t die and continue to grow, it flows through the blood destroying the healthy tissues.

Carcinogens can alter the metabolism of a cell and can damage DNA. It escalates the growth of cancer cells. Tobacco, asbestos, arsenic, gamma and x-rays, the sun, and fumes exhaust from cars are all examples of carcinogens. Even the simple grilling of meats is an example of carcinogen. Burning of meat at a high temperature produces the same carcinogen as cigarette has. Cigarette has thousands of compounds that can be carcinogenic or if not, noxious. Also, overheating or frying of carbohydrates may be carcinogenic such as potato chips, French fries, etc.

There are many ways to prevent cancer. One can choose not to smoke, or if you’re a smoker, quitting can still be effective to prevent the risk of having it. Viruses like Hepatitis B may lead to liver cancer and can be prevented by vaccines. Some vaccines for women also prevent cervical cancer. Moreover, to protect our skin from cancerous radiation emitted by the sun which can cause skin cancer, sunscreens, and staying in shaded areas can help. Proper diet also helps since some foods are associated with carcinogens. Fresh fruits and low-fat food are recommended. There are also cancers, which are caused by obesity and lack of exercise that can be easily avoided by every individual with just proper discipline.

Brain cancer is a disease wherein the tissues of the brain are being affected. Unlike other types of cancer, brain cancer doesn’t often spread to different parts of your body.

A person usually experiences headache and tends to ignore it. As tumor grows in the brain, the headache worsens.  Patient may also have focal neurologic symptoms such as cognitive and behavioral impairment, personality changes, hemiparesis, visual field impairment, tremor and more. Manifestation of these symptoms depends on the location of the tumor.

Patients should be aware of his/choice of treatment options. Expected results and risks should also be tackled and thoroughly discussed. Treatment depends on several factors including the type, location and size of the tumor. Mode of treatment may be surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.

Surgery

Surgery is the usual mode of treatment for brain tumors. It removes the tumor in the brain. It is performed under general anesthesia wherein a portion of the skull is removed to access the brain. After removing the tumor, the surgeon closes the opening using metal, a piece of bone or fabric. He then closes the incision with the scalp.

There are instances that the doctor cannot remove the entire tumor without damaging the normal cells adjacent to it. In this case, a patient may receive radiation or other treatment options.

Radiation

Radiation therapy or radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells. It focuses eliminating the brain tumor by shrinking it in series of days. Radiotherapy targets the cancer cells, leaving and protecting good tissues that surround the tumor. It usually follows surgery. Most patients who cannot have surgery consider radiotherapy as an alternative.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer. It may be given by mouth or injection. The drugs then enter the bloodstream and are distributed throughout the body. Chemotherapy can be administered in an outpatient department of the hospital, at the doctor’s clinic or at home. Children are more likely to use chemotherapy as mode of treatment. Adults may use chemotherapy after surgery and radiotherapy.