What Is Cancer.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1995 May / Jun Vol IV No 3.
Deepak Parikh. 

Healthy cells that make up the bodys tissues grow, divide, and replace themselves in an orderly manner. This process keeps the body in good shape. Sometimes, however, normal cells lose their ability to limit and direct their growth. They divide too rapidly and grow without any order. Too much tissue is produced and tumors origin to form. These tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumours are not cancer. They do not spread in other parts of the body and they are seldom a threat to life. Often, benign tumours can be removed by surgery, and they are not likely to recur.

Malignant tumours are cancer. They can invade and destroy adjoining tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, and form new tumours.

WARNING SIGNS

Early detection is the key to control of cancer. Thus, it is important for one to know the warning signs that should arouse suspicion that cancer may be developing in ones body.

1. Change in bowel or bladder habit.
2. A sore or a wound does not heal (other underlying causes like diabetes, etc is ruled out).
3. Unusual bleeding or discharge from mouth - breast - nipple - cervix.
4. Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere.
5. Difficulty in swallowing.
6. Obvious change in size - bleeding in a wart - mole.
7. Nagging cough or hoarseness of voice.
8. White patch in the mouth - tongue.

These signs and symptoms can be caused by cancer or a number of other problems. They are not a sure sign of cancer. However, it is important to see a doctor if any such problem lasts as long as 2 weeks.

It is advisable not to wait for symptoms to become painful. Pain is not an early sign of cancer.

CAUSES OF CANCER:

1. Chemical Agents - Tobacco in the form of smoking - chewing burnt tobacco used for brushing teeth. These habits result in cancers of the lung - voice box - mouth - jaw bone or tongue.
2. Diet - Some of the things we eat are suspected to cause cancer. People who eat excessive red meat and high fat content food are at a greater risk of developing bowel and breast cancers.
3. Viruses- It is known that a large proportion of liver cancers occur in people who have previously been infected with Hepatitis B virus. Cancer Cervix also has been shown to be caused by a virus. Early marriage and multiple pregnancies along with poor personal hygiene, increase the risk of cervical cancers.
4. Mechanical - Constant and long standing friction irritation can also lead to cancer e.g. a crooked tooth causing cancer of the tongue and Dhoti Cancer (waistline) which is found only in India (due to obvious reasons).

"Prevention is better than cure" is most apt for cancer. As can be seen, educating the people right from a young age can result in better habits and in turn prevention of cancer. This could result in a reduction of over 60 percent in the new cases of cancer.

EXAMINATION FOR MEN AND WOMEN:

It is important to check regularly for signs of the mouth, especially for those who consume tobacco. Each month you should examine your own mouth in front of a mirror, by everting the cheeks. Look for changes in colour, cracks, white patches, swelling, bleeding areas or thickening in any area in the mouth. Broken or sharp teeth should be attended to by a dentist.

Examination for Women -

1. Breast - Women should learn to perform Breast Self Examination (BSE), This should be done a few days after the menstrual period has ended and in menopausal women, on the same date every month.
2. Cervix - Most cases of cervical (mouth of uterus) cancers could be prevented if all women above the age of 35 had regular pelvic examination and "Pap smear" at 3 yearly intervals. Pap Smear is a simple, painless test, in which the doctor collects cells from the surface of the cervix by means of a cotton swab.

These cells are examined under a microscope to detect abnormal cells and hence pick up a pre-cancerous lesion. Treated at this stage, cancer can be prevented in women. This can pick up a cancer almost 5-10 years before it occurrence.

METHODS OF TREATING CANCER:

These include - Surgery - Radiotherapy - Chemotherapy (Drugs) - Hormone therapy - Immunotherapy.

The doctor may use one or a combination of the above methods to treat cancer. This would depend on type of cancer, location of cancer, extent of cancer and patients general health.

Surgery

Surgery is a local treatment that removes the tumour and any nearby tissue that is likely to contain cancer cells. Sometimes, during surgery, doctors often remove lymph glands that are near the tumour to see if they contain cancer cells. If the patient presents early, cancers can be treated without major surgery. Endoscopes (microscope - telescope) can be used. This type of surgery is known as "Minimally Invasive Surgery" and has the advantage of no external cuts, minimal bleeding during surgery and rapid recovery. Early breast cancers can be treated with removal of the lump only and not the entire breast.

Radiotherapy

In radiation therapy, high-energy radiations are used to damage cancer cells so they are unable to grow and multiply. The two most common types of radiation are external radiation and implants. Most of the side effects that occur, although unpleasant, are not permanent.

Chemotherapy

Treatment with anticancer drugs, called chemotherapy, is used to destroy cancer cells by disrupting their ability to grow and multiply. There are many different drugs given orally or by injections. Chemotherapy works mainly on cancer cells, but it also affects other rapidly growing cells, like hair cells and cells that line the digestive tract. As a result, patient may have side effects such as hair loss, nausea and vomiting. Many anticancer drugs also affect the bone marrow, decreasing its ability to produce blood cells and thus making patients more susceptible to infection.

Hormone Therapy

Some of the cancers depend on hormone for their growth. The treatment for such tumours may include drugs to block the bodys production of hormones or surgery to remove these hormone producing organs.

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