Cancer Essay -- Medical Medicine Health Essays

Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. If the spread of these abnormal cells is not controlled, cancer can cause death. Most cancers take the form of tumors, although not all tumors are cancers. A tumor is simply a mass of new tissue that serves no physiological purpose. It can be benign, like a wart, or malignant, like cancer. Benign tumors are made up of cells similar to the surrounding normal cells and are enclosed in a membrane that prevents them from penetrating neighboring tissues. They are dangerous only if their physical presence interferes with bodily functions. A malignant tumor, or cancer, is capable of invading surrounding structures, including blood vessels, the lymph system and nerves. It can also spread to distant sites by the blood and lymphatic circulation and so can produce invasive tumors in almost any part of the body. In 1997, an estimated 1,359,150 people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer and 554,740 will die of the disease. Early screening for cancer is believed to be able to drastically reduce the number of deaths due to the disease. Knowing what to look for when detecting cancer, as well as knowing if you are in a high-risk population are two of the main factors of early intervention. Early intervention of cancer has proven to increase survival rates and lower the length and severity of treatments. Detection and protection are two types of ambulatory care for cancer that begin before the disease is ever diagnosed. Cancer often causes symptoms that you can watch for. These include: change in bowel or bladder habits; a sore that does not heal; unusual bleeding or discharge; thickening or lump in the... ...le cells in all phases of the cell cycle can be damaged by radiation, the lethal effect of radiation may not be apparent until after one or more cell divisions have occurred. Although normal cells can also be affected by ionizing radiation, they are usually better able to repair their DNA damage. Radiation treatments can be administered externally or internally, depending on the type and extent of the tumor, however only external radiation can be administered in an outpatient basis. Some patients have both forms, one after the other. X-rays, radioactive elements, and radioactive isotopes are most often used in these forms of treatment. External radiation treatments are administered by machines that deliver high-energy radiation. These machines vary according to the amount and type of energy produced. The kind of machine will differ depending on the ty Cancer Essay -- Medical Medicine Health Essays Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. If the spread of these abnormal cells is not controlled, cancer can cause death. Most cancers take the form of tumors, although not all tumors are cancers. A tumor is simply a mass of new tissue that serves no physiological purpose. It can be benign, like a wart, or malignant, like cancer. Benign tumors are made up of cells similar to the surrounding normal cells and are enclosed in a membrane that prevents them from penetrating neighboring tissues. They are dangerous only if their physical presence interferes with bodily functions. A malignant tumor, or cancer, is capable of invading surrounding structures, including blood vessels, the lymph system and nerves. It can also spread to distant sites by the blood and lymphatic circulation and so can produce invasive tumors in almost any part of the body. In 1997, an estimated 1,359,150 people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer and 554,740 will die of the disease. Early screening for cancer is believed to be able to drastically reduce the number of deaths due to the disease. Knowing what to look for when detecting cancer, as well as knowing if you are in a high-risk population are two of the main factors of early intervention. Early intervention of cancer has proven to increase survival rates and lower the length and severity of treatments. Detection and protection are two types of ambulatory care for cancer that begin before the disease is ever diagnosed. Cancer often causes symptoms that you can watch for. These include: change in bowel or bladder habits; a sore that does not heal; unusual bleeding or discharge; thickening or lump in the... ...le cells in all phases of the cell cycle can be damaged by radiation, the lethal effect of radiation may not be apparent until after one or more cell divisions have occurred. Although normal cells can also be affected by ionizing radiation, they are usually better able to repair their DNA damage. Radiation treatments can be administered externally or internally, depending on the type and extent of the tumor, however only external radiation can be administered in an outpatient basis. Some patients have both forms, one after the other. X-rays, radioactive elements, and radioactive isotopes are most often used in these forms of treatment. External radiation treatments are administered by machines that deliver high-energy radiation. These machines vary according to the amount and type of energy produced. The kind of machine will differ depending on the ty