COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
BREAST CANCER II
DIXIE'S PLACE MAINPAGE
I do not claim to know alot
about caner, AKA "THE BIG C", and
that is partly why I am making this
section on my homepages.
In the past few months several of
my friends have been diagnosed with
cancer. Two other friends came out of
"remission" from there cancers and
were back on square one of treatments.
It is my hope and plan to add a lot
more to this section as time passes.
I want to get deeper into some of
the individual types of this desease
there are, places both on and off line
to meet other people with cancer, rings
and links to other personal stories and
mych more.
If you have a particular topic detailed
more here, please write and I will see
if I can.
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a group of diseases in which
there is irregular growth of abnormal cells.
Controlling the spread of the abnormal
cells is the key to fighting cancer. If the
spread is not controlled, it can result in
death. Normal cells grow in an orderly,
controlled pattern. Just enough new cells
grow to replace old ones that wear out
and die. Abnormal cells grow in an
uncontrolled pattern, without specific
structure and function. They never stop
replacing themselves, and soon they
greatly outnumber the healthy cells
surrounding them.
Are all growths or tumors cancerous?
No. A tumor can be either benign
(noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
A benign tumor usually grows slowly,
does not destroy normal cells while it is
growing, and remains localized--that is,
does not metastasize (spread to other places).
In addition, benign tumors usually do
not produce any serious side-effects,
unless they are growing in a confined
area such as the brain. In fact, the main
difference between a benign tumor and
normal tissue is just that there are more
cells in a benign tumor. A malignant tumor
is made up of cancer cells. The cells
divide relentlessly, causing the tumor
to grow much faster than the normal
tissue surrounding it. Malignant tumors
can break away and spread throughout
the body; the tumor tends to invade and
destroy distant areas by spreading
away from the original site.
What causes cancer?
Cancer is caused by both external
(chemicals, radiation and viruses)
and internal factors (hormones,
immune conditions and inherited mutations.)
Scientists now believe most cancer is
caused in two steps, by two kinds of agents:
initiators and promoters. Initiators start the
damage to the cell, damage that can lead
to cancer. Cigarette smoking, x-rays and
certain chemicals are considered initiators.
Promoters stimulate the development of
cancer but usually do not cause cancer.
For instance, alcohol alone does not
cause cancer, but it can promote the
development of cancer when combined
with an initiator such as smoking. Ten
or more years often pass between
exposure to cancer-causing factors
or mutations and detectable cancer.
At what age do persons usually get cancer?
Cancer is predominantly a disease
of middle and old age. In the United
States, 66 percent of cancer in men
and 63 percent in women is diagnosed
at age 55 or over. Because people
today live longer than in the past now
that we've cured many of the ailments
which used to cause people to die
younger, more people today are getting
cancer.
Does cancer run in families?
Some limited information suggests
some increased family risk of
developing cancer of the same site
for cancers of the female breast,
stomach, large intestine, endometrium,
prostate, lung and possibly ovary.
However, scientists still do not know
whether this is due to inherited
characteristics or to other factors, such
as diet or occupation, which may
continue unchanged from one
generation to the next.
Can cancer be cured?
Yes. For many kinds of cancer,
if a patient's disease has been in
remission for five years (all
symptoms and signs of the
disease are gone for five years,
even if cancer cells remain in the body),
the cancer is considered cured.
The length of remission at which a
person is considered cured differs
for various kinds of cancers. In some
kinds of skin cancer, for example,
a person is considered cured as
soon as the spot of cancer is removed.
With other cancers, 8 or 10 years must
pass until they are considered cured.
Is remission a cure?
A remission may or may not
be a cure. Cancer can be in
remission for anywhere from
weeks to years, while undetected
tumor dells in the body remain inactive.
The cancer cells may begin to grow
again until once more they produce symptoms.
How is cancer treated?
Cancer is treated in a number of
different ways, depending on the
kind and extent of the tumor.
The main treatment methods are:
Surgery: removal of the tumor by cutting.
This is most often used for small, localized tumors.
Radiation: the use of x-ray or radium,
often in combination with surgery, to
attempt to cure localized cancer and/or to
control growth.
Chemotherapy/Hormone Therapy: Use of
drugs and hormones, usually after surgery
or radiation. This is used when cancer is
in body system rather than localized in one spot.
Immunotherapy: Use of body's immune
system to stimulate or enhance the body's
own response.
ALL CANCER LINKS,
FROM THE HEART OF DIXIE
FROM THE HEART OF DIXIE