Most Common Cause Of Death From Cancer example essay topic

Cancer is new growth of tissue resulting from rapid production of abnormal cells Cancer is not a single disease but includes a number of diseases classified according to the tissue and type of cell in which new growth occurs, here are three major subtypes are Sarcomas, Carcinomas, Leukemias and Lymphomas. More than 1,350,000 new cases of cancer occur in the United States each year. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the nation, and the leading cause of death from disease in children between the ages of 1 and 14. The figures for the United States are 217/100,000 men and 137/100,000 women. The most death causing cancers are lung cancer- 1st in each sex, colorectal cancer- 2nd in both sexes, and breast and uterine cancers in women, and prostate cancer in men. Since 1949 death from cancer in the United States has been higher among men than women.

The sex ratios of different cancers vary considerably. Death from cancer is higher among blacks than among whites. A cancerous growth, is clonal- all its cells are descendants of a single cell. Fatal cells are unable to mature into an adult. These cells may form a mass called a tumor, which enlarges and continues to grow. Not all tumors are fatal; the greatest number are benign, or non-life-threatening.

Cancer cells may retain the physical and biological characteristics of the tissue in which they originated. Pathologists can often determine the site of origin of a metastatic tumor by microscopic examination of the cancerous tissue. The less closely a cancer resembles the tissue in which it first grew, the more fatal and rapidly invasive it tends to be. Over time, a tumor may develop increased resistance to various forms of treatment.

Cancer may be caused by a number of factors that include inheriting a gene that give an individual a particular type of cancer, contracting a virus that causes a specific form of cancer, being exposed to certain types of radiation and particular chemicals that cause cancer. Changes in the immune system and exposure to certain environmental factors can also cause cancer. The earlier cancer is treated, the greater the chance for a cure. The cancers for which excellent screening is available are breast, colon and rectum, cervix, and prostate cancer. There are seven classic danger signals of cancer: 1) Change in bowel or bladder habits 2) A sore that does not heal 3) Unusual bleeding or discharge 4) Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere 5) Indigestion or difficulty swallowing 6) Obvious change in a wart or mole 7) Nagging cough or hoarseness.

Traditional methods for treating cancer have been surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Recent treatments include hormone therapy, combined modality therapy (in which several types of treatment are used together), and biologic therapies such as immunotherapy, which triggers the body's immune system to attack cancerous cells. Gene therapy is an effective future cancer treatment. In the United States the number of deaths from cancer has risen rapidly and steadily, from 298,000 in 1965 to more than 550,000 in 1996. Lung cancer, the most common cause of death from cancer, has continued to rise. The treatment of cancer has improved remarkably since 1940.

More than 10 million living Americans have had cancer. Seven million have survived more than five years, and nearly all of the survivors are regarded as cured. Death rate has fallen progressively for all age groups below 55 years old. This can be attributed to healthful eating habits, a decline in smoking and alcohol use, a less-contaminated environment with decreased likelihood of exposure to carcinogens, and earlier diagnosis of treatable cancers. The most important preventive measure in controlling cancer is the reduction of tobacco. Many more cancer cases can be prevented if individuals follow a healthy diet that includes reducing calorie intake to avoid obesity, reducing the number of calories derived from fat to 20 percent of the diet, and reducing the amount of red-meat consumed.

Moderation in the use of alcohol and consumption of salt-cured, smoked, and nitrite-cured foods is advised. Remember, avoid overexposure to sunlight, and routinely use sunscreens to prevent cancer of the skin.