Cancer is a disease caused by abnormal cell growth that t ida k controlled in the body. This abnormal cell growth can damage normal cells around it and in other parts of the body.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer often causes death because generally this disease does not cause symptoms at the beginning of its development, so it is only detected and treated after reaching an advanced stage.
Therefore, do screening checks or health checks regularly, so that cancer can be detected early. To prevent cancer, live a healthy lifestyle, namely by eating a balanced nutritious diet, exercising diligently , not smoking, and not drinking alcohol.
Causes of Cancer
The main cause of cancer is genetic changes (mutations) in cells. Genetic mutations will make cells become abnormal. In fact, the body has its own mechanism to destroy these abnormal cells. If these mechanisms fail, abnormal cells will grow uncontrollably.
Factors that can trigger the growth of cancer cells vary, depending on the type of cancer. However, there is no specific type of cancer that is triggered by only one factor.
Factors thought to be at risk of causing genetic mutations in normal cells and the body’s failure to repair them include:
- Have a history of internal cancer
- Over 65 years of age. However, some types of cancer are more common in children .
- Smoking .
- Exposure to radiation, chemicals (eg asbestos or benzene ), or sunlight.
- Be infected with viruses, such as hepatitis B , hepatitis C, and HPV .
- Exposure to high levels of hormones or long term.
- Experiencing obesity .
- Not moving a lot and not regularly playing
- Have a disease that causes chronic inflammation (long-term inflammation), eg ulcerative colitis .
- Decreased immune system, for example due to suffering from HIV / AIDS .
Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms that arise from cancer also vary, depending on the type of cancer and the organs affected by cancer. Some of the symptoms that are often experienced by cancer patients are:
- A lump appears.
- Pain in one part of the body.
- Pale, limp, and tired quickly.
- Drastic weight loss .
- Disturbances in defecation or defecation
- Chronic cough .
- Recurring fever .
- Bruising and bleeding spontaneously.
When to go to the doctor
People who are at risk of developing cancer need to undergo regular screening and check-ups with a doctor. For example, a smoker whose family member has had cancer, or someone who frequently has multiple sexual partners without using a condom.
A person also needs to see a doctor if they experience symptoms of cancer, such as the appearance of a lump in the body, drastic weight loss, or a chronic cough. Early detection of cancer can increase the success of treatment.
Cancer patients need to undergo treatment from an oncologist . Furthermore, regular check-ups will be carried out to see if the treatment given is effective.
If the patient’s condition has improved and the cancer is declared cured, the patient still needs to regularly check his condition to the doctor. This examination is done to ensure that the cancer does not recur.
Patients whose cancer cannot be cured also need to consult a doctor. Doctors can provide treatment to slow the progression of cancer and reduce the symptoms experienced by sufferers. This treatment is called palliative care.
Cancer Diagnosis and Staging
To diagnose cancer, the doctor will ask about the patient’s symptoms and perform a physical examination. After that, there are several additional tests that the doctor will do to confirm a cancer diagnosis, namely:
- Laboratory tests Laboratory
tests, such as blood and urine tests, may be performed to check for abnormalities in the body. Doctors can also perform tumor marker tests to detect cancer. - Imaging
tests This test can take the form of X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans , MRI, or PET scans, to see the condition of the problematic organ. - Biopsy
In this procedure, the doctor will take a sample of the patient’s body tissue suspected of having cancer. A biopsy is the most accurate examination to determine whether a person has cancer or not.
Based on the results of the above examination, the doctor will determine the stage (stage) of the cancer. In general, the stage of cancer is divided into stages 1, 2, 3, and 4. The higher the stage of cancer , the symptoms of the disease will be more severe and the chances of healing are getting smaller.
The high and low stage of cancer is determined by the size of the cancer, whether or not the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and how far the cancer has spread to other organs.
Cancer Treatment
The type of treatment that the doctor will choose depends on several things, ranging from the type of cancer, the location of the cancer, the stage of the cancer, the patient’s general health condition, to the patient’s wishes.
Commonly used cancer treatment methods are as follows:
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is done by giving drugs to destroy cancer cells. - Surgery
Cancer surgery is done by cutting and removing cancerous tissue. - Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses radiation exposure to kill cancer cells. Radiotherapy consists of two types, namely radiation from a machine that is outside the body (external radiotherapy) or radiation from an implant that is placed inside the body ( brachytherapy ). - Bone marrow transplantation
Through this procedure, the patient’s bone marrow will be replaced with new bone marrow from a donor, in order to produce new normal and cancer-free cells. - Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy or biological therapy aims to activate the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. - Hormone therapy
Some types of cancer, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer , are triggered by hormones. Therefore, by inhibiting these hormones, the growth of cancer cells can be stopped. - Targeted drug therapy
This therapy is done by giving drugs that can inhibit genetic mutations in cells.
Please note that the above cancer treatments can cause various side effects. One of them is the reduced number of white blood cells, so the patient’s body is susceptible to infection .
Cancer Prevention
- Regular health checks
Consult your doctor to undergo cancer screening tests, based on the risk factors you have. - Get rid of cigarette
smoke Smoking can increase the risk of various types of cancer, especially lung cancer. - Diligent physical activity
Regular exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. - Healthy diet with balanced calories
Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains (eg wheat), and foods rich in protein. - Adequate rest
Lack of sleep can increase the risk of cancer. - Manage stress
Excessive and prolonged stress can lead to the appearance of cancer. - Avoid excessive sun exposure
Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun can increase the risk of skin cancer. Therefore, use closed clothes when doing outdoor activities. - Use a mask in a place full of air pollution
Motor vehicle fumes, factory fumes, waste burning smoke, cigarette smoke, and asbestos dust can cause cancer. - Stop consuming alcohol
If you like to consume alcohol, start to stop the habit, because alcohol can trigger cancer. - Get vaccinated
There are two types of cancer that can be prevented by vaccination, namely liver cancer through the hepatitis B vaccine and cervical cancer with the HPV vaccine.