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What to know about cancer

 What is cancer?

 Causes

 Treatments

 Types

 Outlook

 Takeaway

Cancer causes cells to divide uncontrollably. This can result in tumors,

damage to the immune system, and other impairment that can be fatal.

In the United States, an estimated 15.5 millionTrusted Source people with a

history of cancer were living as of January 1, 2016, according to a 2018 report
from the American Cancer Society.

In this article, we examine types of cancer, how the disease develops, and the
many treatments that help improve the quality of life and survival rates.
What is

cancer?

Share on PinterestPhoto edited by Stephen Kelly; Science Photo Library –

STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/ CSA Images/Getty Images

Cancer is a broad term. It describes the disease that results when cellular
changes cause the uncontrolled growth and division of cells.

Some types of cancer cause rapid cell growth, while others cause cells to
grow and divide at a slower rate.

Certain forms of cancer result in visible growths called tumors, while others,
such as leukemia, do not.

Most of the body’s cells have specific functions and fixed lifespans. While it
may sound like a bad thing, cell death is part of a natural and beneficial
phenomenon called apoptosis.

A cell receives instructions to die so that the body can replace it with a newer
cell that functions better. Cancerous cells lack the components that instruct
them to stop dividing and to die.

As a result, they build up in the body, using oxygen and nutrients that would
usually nourish other cells. Cancerous cells can form tumors, impair the
immune system and cause other changes that prevent the body from
functioning regularly.

Cancerous cells may appear in one area, then spread via the lymph nodes.
These are clusters of immune cells located throughout the body.

Causes

There are many causes of cancer, and some are preventable.

For example, over 480,000 peopleTrusted Source die in the U.S. each year
from smoking cigarettes, according to data reported in 2014.

In addition to smoking, risk factors for cancer include:

 heavy alcohol consumption

 excess body weight
 physical inactivity
 poor nutrition

Other causes of cancer are not preventable. Currently, the most significant
unpreventable risk factor is age. According to the American Cancer Society,
doctors in the U.S. diagnose 87 percentTrusted Source of cancer cases in
people ages 50 years or older.

Is cancer genetic?

Genetic factors can contribute to the development of cancer.

A person’s genetic code tells their cells when to divide and expire. Changes in
the genes can lead to faulty instructions, and cancer can result.

Genes also influence the cells’ production of proteins, and proteins carry
many of the instructions for cellular growth and division.
Some genes change proteins that would usually repair damaged cells. This
can lead to cancer. If a parent has these genes, they may pass on the altered
instructions to their offspring.

Some genetic changes occur after birth, and factors such as smoking and sun
exposure can increase the risk.

Other changes that can result in cancer take place in the chemical signals that
determine how the body deploys, or “expresses” specific genes.

Finally, a person can inherit a predisposition for a type of cancer. A doctor

may refer to this as having a hereditary cancer syndrome. Inherited genetic
mutations significantly contribute to the development of 5–10 percentTrusted
Source of cancer cases.

Treatments

Share on PinterestThe side effects of chemotherapy include hair loss.

However, advances in treatment are improving the outlook for people with
cancer.

Innovative research has fueled the development of new medications and

treatment technologies.
Doctors usually prescribe treatments based on the type of cancer, its stage at
diagnosis, and the person’s overall health.

Below are examples of approaches to cancer treatment:

 Chemotherapy aims to kill cancerous cells with medications that target

rapidly dividing cells. The drugs can also help shrink tumors, but the
side effects can be severe.
 Hormone therapy involves taking medications that change how certain
hormones work or interfere with the body’s ability to produce them.
When hormones play a significant role, as with prostate and breast
cancers, this is a common approach.
 Immunotherapy uses medications and other treatments to boost the
immune system and encourage it to fight cancerous cells. Two
examples of these treatments are checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive
cell transfer.
 Precision medicine, or personalized medicine, is a newer, developing
approach. It involves using genetic testing to determine the best
treatments for a person’s particular presentation of cancer.
Researchers have yet to show that it can effectively treat all types of
cancer, however.
 Radiation therapy uses high-dose radiation to kill cancerous cells. Also,
a doctor may recommend using radiation to shrink a tumor before
surgery or reduce tumor-related symptoms.
 Stem cell transplant can be especially beneficial for people with blood-
related cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma. It involves removing
cells, such as red or white blood cells, that chemotherapy or radiation
has destroyed. Lab technicians then strengthen the cells and put them
back into the body.
 Surgery is often a part of a treatment plan when a person has a
cancerous tumor. Also, a surgeon may remove lymph nodes to reduce
or prevent the disease’s spread.
 Targeted therapies perform functions within cancerous cells to prevent
them from multiplying. They can also boost the immune system. Two
 examples of these therapies are small-molecule drugs and monoclonal
antibodies.

Doctors will often employ more than one type of treatment to maximize
effectiveness.

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Types

Share on PinterestSmoking increases the risk of many different types of

cancer.

The most common typeTrusted Source of cancer in the U.S. is breast cancer,
followed by lung and prostate cancers, according to the National Cancer
Institute, which excluded nonmelanoma skin cancers from these findings.
Each year, more than 40,000 people in the country receive a diagnosis of one
of the following types of cancer:

 bladder
 colon and rectal
 endometrial
 kidney
 leukemia
 liver
 melanoma
 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
 pancreatic
 thyroid

Other forms are less common. According to the National Cancer Institute,
there are over 100 typesTrusted Source of cancer.

Cancer development and cell division

Doctors classify cancer by:

 its location in the body

 the tissues that it forms in

For example, sarcomas develop in bones or soft tissues, while carcinomas

form in cells that cover internal or external surfaces in the body. Basal cell
carcinomas develop in the skin, while adenocarcinomas can form in the
breast.

When cancerous cells spread to other parts of the body, the medical term for
this is metastasis.

A person can also have more than one type of cancer at a time.
To discover more evidence-based information and resources for cancer,
visit our dedicated hub.

Outlook

Improvements in cancer detection, increased awareness of the risks of

smoking, and a drop in tobacco use have all contributed to a year-on-year
decrease in the number of cancer diagnoses and deaths.

According to the American Cancer Society, the overall cancer death rate
declined by 26 percentTrusted Source between 1991 and 2015.

When a person has cancer, the outlook will depend on whether the disease
has spread and on its type, severity, and location.

Takeaway

Cancer causes cells to divide uncontrollably. It also prevents them from dying
at the natural point in their life cycle.

Genetic factors and lifestyle choices, such as smoking, can contribute to the
development of the disease. Several elements affect the ways that DNA
communicates with cells and directs their division and death.

After nonmelanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type in
the U.S. However, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death.

Treatments are constantly improving. Examples of current methods include

chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Some people benefit from
newer options, such as stem cell transplantation and precision medicine.