Health and medical news blog

As mentioned earlier, the term cancer refers not to a single disease but to hundreds of different diseases. However, four broad classifications of cancer are made according to the type of tissue from which the cancer arises.
Classifications of Cancer- Carcinomas. Epithelial tissues (tissues covering body surfaces and lining most body cavities) are the most common sites for cancers. Carcinoma of the breast, lung, intestines, skin, and mouth are examples. These cancers affect the outer layer of the skin and mouth as well as the mucous membranes. They metastasize through the circulatory or lymphatic system initially and form solid tumors.- Sarcomas. Sarcomas occur in the mesodermal, or middle, layers of tissue – for example, in bones, muscles, and general connective tissue. They metastasize primarily via the blood in the early stages of disease. These cancers are less common but generally more virulent than carcinomas. They also form solid tumors.- Lymphomas. Lymphomas develop in the lymphatic system – the infection-fighting regions of the body – and metastasize through the lymph system. Hodgkin’s disease is one type of lymphoma. Lymphomas also form solid tumors.- Leukemia. Cancer of the blood-forming parts of the body, particularly the bone marrow and spleen, is called leukemia. A nonsolid tumor, leukemia is characterized by an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells.The seriousness and general prognosis of a particular cancer are determined through careful diagnosis by trained oncologists. Once laboratory results and clinical observations have been made, cancers are rated by level and stage of development. Those diagnosed as “carcinoma in situ” are localized and are often curable. Cancers that are given higher level or stage ratings have spread farther and are less likely to be cured.*13/277/5*

Many researchers claim that social and psychological factors play a major role in determining whether a person gets cancer. Stress has been implicated in increased susceptibility to several types of cancers. By reducing stress levels in your daily life, you may, in fact, be reducing your risk for cancer. A number of therapists have even established preventive treatment centers where the primary focus is on “being happy” and “thinking positive thoughts.” Is it possible to laugh away cancer?
Although orthodox medical personnel are skeptical of overly simplistic prevention centers that focus on humor and laughter as the way to prevent cancer, we cannot rule out the possibility that negative emotional states contribute to disease development. People who are under chronic, severe stress or who suffer from depression or other persistent emotional problems appear to have a higher rate of cancer development than their healthy counterparts. Whether due to sleep disturbances, diet, or a combination of factors, the body’s immune system may become weakened, increasing the susceptibility to cancer.
Although psychological factors may play a part in cancer development, exposure to substances such as tobacco and alcohol in our social environment are far more important. The American Cancer Society states that cigarette smoking is responsible for 30 percent of all cancer deaths – 87 percent of all lung cancer deaths. Heavy consumption of alcohol has been related to cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus, and liver. These cancers show up even more frequently in people whose heavy drinking is accompanied by smoking. The negative effects of smoking are not just concerns for the active smoker. Environmental (passive) tobacco smoke (ETS) causes an estimated 3,000 deaths from lung cancer, 40,000 deaths from heart disease, up to 300,000 respiratory problems, and countless deaths among nonsmokers. Cancers of the mouth and throat pose significant risks for smokers.
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As with other treatments, so it is with surgery— no one can look into the future and tell you exactly what will happen to you as an individual. In the case of surgery, they can’t even always tell you exactly what the operation will involve.

Let’s start with an example. Say a person agreed to removal of part of the lower bowel, on the understanding that this would give him a good chance of being cured of bowel cancer altogether. At the operation, his surgeon finds something that was not known before the operation—the cancer has grown through the bowel wall and into the wall of the bladder. The cancer cannot be completely removed without removing part of the bladder as well. Even if this is done, the chance of cure is much smaller than was advised beforehand. This surgeon has two choices. He or she can take the decision away from the patient by going ahead immediately with whatever operation seems best. This is what most surgeons do. Or the surgeon could simply sew the patient up again and discuss the new situation with him when he wakes up. Clearly this wouldn’t be good for the sick person, who would then have to consider having another operation within a very short time. It also wouldn’t be good for the surgeon. The average surgeon is much too concerned with maintaining his or her power and authority over the patient to even consider such a course of action. Doing this would mean admitting lack of care in planning the operation. More importantly, it would also mean acknowledging that the person having the operation was indeed the best person to make the decision.

*225/40/1*