Cancer is a frightening disease and needs to be monitored here I will explain what cancer is and its symptoms.
What is cancer?
This disease occurs due to the growth of abnormal cells that are not controlled, which causes damage to normal body tissue. Basically, the human body consists of trillions of cells scattered in every organ and part. These cells will continue to grow and develop into new cells. While cells that are old, unhealthy, and no longer functioning will naturally die.
While cancer cells will not die alone. These cells will continue to multiply and multiply to an amount that cannot be controlled anymore. This change can trigger the appearance of cancer cells.
Compared with body cells, cancer cells have many differences. These cells can grow aggressively and spread to other parts of the body to form new tissue. Cancer cells also cannot die and damage themselves.
Cancer can appear in any part of the body because it comes from cells in the human body. So, there are many types of cancer found in humans. It was reported that there are more than 200 types of cancer.
How common is cancer?
This disease can attack anyone indiscriminately. Ranging from toddlers to seniors, women and men, even those whose lifestyles are quite healthy. This can be controlled by reducing your risk factors. Please discuss with your doctor for more information.
Signs & Symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of cancer?
Here are some cancer symptoms that should not be ignored:
1. Unusual lumps appear
The most typical symptom of cancer is the appearance of an unusual tumor lump. If you find a lump that grows quickly in a short time and is unnaturally shaped, this can be a symptom of breast cancer.
Apart from breasts, this lump can also appear in any part of the body. Therefore, if you find a lump or a new lump that changes in your body, consult a doctor as soon as possible.
2. Changes to the skin
If you suspect an unusual change in size, shape or color of a mole, watch out for symptoms of skin cancer. To ensure that any changes that occur on your skin are not symptoms of this disease, immediately consult a doctor for a thorough examination.
You also have to do regular skin checks to find out if there is growth that looks strange on the skin.
3. Problems with lymph nodes
Lymph nodes are small tissue structures shaped like red beans that play a large role in the human immune system. So, when an infection occurs, the lymph nodes will swell to give a sign.
Therefore, swollen lymph nodes need to watch out because they can be a sign of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma. This gland is found in the neck, inner thighs, underarms, around the intestines and between the lungs.
4. Weight loss without cause
It is normal if you experience weight loss because you are on a diet. But if your weight loss happens for no apparent reason, you must be vigilant.
Weight loss can be a symptom of colon, pancreatic, or other digestive cancer. Not only that, sudden weight loss can also be a sign of this disease that can spread to the liver so that it will affect your appetite and your body's ability to release food scraps in the body.
5. Prolonged coughing or tightness
Most coughs may not need to look out for. However, if your cough does not go away, occurs for a long time and is accompanied by shortness of breath or blood, you must be vigilant. The reason, this can be dangerous because it shows that your lungs have problems. In the worst case scenario, you can experience lung cancer.
Therefore, if you have a persistent cough, go to a health center to have an X-ray or CT scan of your chest.
6. Pain without cause
If your pain is due to physical injury, this might not be a serious problem. However, if you experience permanent pain and without cause it needs to be aware of.
Depending on the location of the pain, there are various types of this disease. Headaches that do not heal even though they have been treated may be symptoms of brain cancer.
7. Bleeding is not normal
Abnormal bleeding can indicate the possibility that you have this disease. For example, vaginal bleeding outside of menstruation or after sexual intercourse can be a sign of endometrial and cervical cancer.
There may be cancer symptoms not mentioned above. Therefore, consult a doctor immediately if you suspect abnormal changes in your body as an early detection of this disease. The earlier the disease is detected, the chance for recovery will also be even greater.
When should I see a doctor?
If you experience any of the signs or symptoms of cancer mentioned above, or have any questions about the symptoms of this disease, you should immediately consult your doctor. Everyone's body reacts differently. It's always better to discuss what's best for your situation with your doctor.
Cause
What causes cancer?
The most common cause of cancer is a change (mutation) in genes in cells. In the gene, there are thousands of DNAs that will give instructions to the cell to carry out its functions in the organs of the body where the cell lives.
So the cell nucleus, which is home to thousands of genes, will determine what cell types a particular organ needs, when cells need to divide, and which cells must die and be replaced.
Unfortunately, this process does not always work out perfectly. When cells divide, there is a risk that new cells born from division will contain too many damaged or duplicated genes. This change in gene structure in cells is called a gene mutation.
When gene mutations occur, cells can no longer take orders and instructions from the central system so that these cells will grow out of control and produce abnormal proteins. Abnormalities in the protein produced will further trigger the division of new cells with imperfect genes. In other cases, the protein needed to stop the birth of new cells is not produced at all.
Usually, new gene mutations will potentially cause cancer if they occur more than five times and involve different genes. This process can take years until the cells divide and form a large enough cancer cell. Only then the symptoms begin to appear and cancer cells appear when your body is examined.
However, in the case of children, gene damage has occurred in the womb or since birth. So, they do have innate genes that are damaged in the cells of the body so that the process of cancer formation does not require a long time.
In general, there are two cancer-causing factors that most often occur, namely:
Scientists do not know how many mutations must accumulate so they can cause cancer. Even so, scientists believe that the causes of cancer will vary in each person depending on the type of cancer they have. Consult your doctor to find out more complete causes of cancer. By knowing the various factors that cause cancer it is possible to reduce your risk of this disease in the future.
Risk factors
What increases my risk of developing cancer?
There are many factors that increase your risk of this disease, such as:
Medicines & Medications
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.
How is cancer diagnosed?
It is highly recommended to diagnose the disease as soon as possible to get the best chance for healing, especially in the early stages. Doctors can use one or more approaches to diagnose this disease. Some of the tests that are commonly done by doctors to diagnose this disease include:
What are the cancer drugs?
Cancer drugs basically depend on the type and stage of the disease, potential side effects, as well as the choice and general health of the patient. In general, here are some of the most common cancer drugs:
1. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses chemicals with strong intensity to kill fast-growing cells in the body. Chemotherapy is most often used as a cancer drug, because cells in this disease develop faster than normal cells in the body.
Chemotherapy drugs can be used alone or combined as a cancer drug. Chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many of these types of disease but has a risk of side effects that must also be wary of.
2. Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a treatment method that relies on radiation by using high-energy waves such as x-rays, gamma, protons, and electrons to kill cancer cells. Although radiotherapy is most often used as a cancer drug, but sometimes this therapy is also used to treat patients who are not affected by this disease, such as tumors and disorders of the thyroid gland.
3. Target therapy
Target therapy is therapy that uses drugs or other chemicals to identify and attack cancer cells specifically without killing normal cells. This therapy includes:
Home remedies
What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat cancer?
The following lifestyle changes can help you prevent and treat cancer:
If you have questions, consult your doctor to understand the best solution for you.
What is cancer?
This disease occurs due to the growth of abnormal cells that are not controlled, which causes damage to normal body tissue. Basically, the human body consists of trillions of cells scattered in every organ and part. These cells will continue to grow and develop into new cells. While cells that are old, unhealthy, and no longer functioning will naturally die.
While cancer cells will not die alone. These cells will continue to multiply and multiply to an amount that cannot be controlled anymore. This change can trigger the appearance of cancer cells.
Compared with body cells, cancer cells have many differences. These cells can grow aggressively and spread to other parts of the body to form new tissue. Cancer cells also cannot die and damage themselves.
Cancer can appear in any part of the body because it comes from cells in the human body. So, there are many types of cancer found in humans. It was reported that there are more than 200 types of cancer.
How common is cancer?
This disease can attack anyone indiscriminately. Ranging from toddlers to seniors, women and men, even those whose lifestyles are quite healthy. This can be controlled by reducing your risk factors. Please discuss with your doctor for more information.
Signs & Symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of cancer?
Here are some cancer symptoms that should not be ignored:
1. Unusual lumps appear
The most typical symptom of cancer is the appearance of an unusual tumor lump. If you find a lump that grows quickly in a short time and is unnaturally shaped, this can be a symptom of breast cancer.
Apart from breasts, this lump can also appear in any part of the body. Therefore, if you find a lump or a new lump that changes in your body, consult a doctor as soon as possible.
2. Changes to the skin
If you suspect an unusual change in size, shape or color of a mole, watch out for symptoms of skin cancer. To ensure that any changes that occur on your skin are not symptoms of this disease, immediately consult a doctor for a thorough examination.
You also have to do regular skin checks to find out if there is growth that looks strange on the skin.
3. Problems with lymph nodes
Lymph nodes are small tissue structures shaped like red beans that play a large role in the human immune system. So, when an infection occurs, the lymph nodes will swell to give a sign.
Therefore, swollen lymph nodes need to watch out because they can be a sign of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma. This gland is found in the neck, inner thighs, underarms, around the intestines and between the lungs.
4. Weight loss without cause
It is normal if you experience weight loss because you are on a diet. But if your weight loss happens for no apparent reason, you must be vigilant.
Weight loss can be a symptom of colon, pancreatic, or other digestive cancer. Not only that, sudden weight loss can also be a sign of this disease that can spread to the liver so that it will affect your appetite and your body's ability to release food scraps in the body.
5. Prolonged coughing or tightness
Most coughs may not need to look out for. However, if your cough does not go away, occurs for a long time and is accompanied by shortness of breath or blood, you must be vigilant. The reason, this can be dangerous because it shows that your lungs have problems. In the worst case scenario, you can experience lung cancer.
Therefore, if you have a persistent cough, go to a health center to have an X-ray or CT scan of your chest.
6. Pain without cause
If your pain is due to physical injury, this might not be a serious problem. However, if you experience permanent pain and without cause it needs to be aware of.
Depending on the location of the pain, there are various types of this disease. Headaches that do not heal even though they have been treated may be symptoms of brain cancer.
7. Bleeding is not normal
Abnormal bleeding can indicate the possibility that you have this disease. For example, vaginal bleeding outside of menstruation or after sexual intercourse can be a sign of endometrial and cervical cancer.
There may be cancer symptoms not mentioned above. Therefore, consult a doctor immediately if you suspect abnormal changes in your body as an early detection of this disease. The earlier the disease is detected, the chance for recovery will also be even greater.
When should I see a doctor?
If you experience any of the signs or symptoms of cancer mentioned above, or have any questions about the symptoms of this disease, you should immediately consult your doctor. Everyone's body reacts differently. It's always better to discuss what's best for your situation with your doctor.
Cause
What causes cancer?
The most common cause of cancer is a change (mutation) in genes in cells. In the gene, there are thousands of DNAs that will give instructions to the cell to carry out its functions in the organs of the body where the cell lives.
So the cell nucleus, which is home to thousands of genes, will determine what cell types a particular organ needs, when cells need to divide, and which cells must die and be replaced.
Unfortunately, this process does not always work out perfectly. When cells divide, there is a risk that new cells born from division will contain too many damaged or duplicated genes. This change in gene structure in cells is called a gene mutation.
When gene mutations occur, cells can no longer take orders and instructions from the central system so that these cells will grow out of control and produce abnormal proteins. Abnormalities in the protein produced will further trigger the division of new cells with imperfect genes. In other cases, the protein needed to stop the birth of new cells is not produced at all.
Usually, new gene mutations will potentially cause cancer if they occur more than five times and involve different genes. This process can take years until the cells divide and form a large enough cancer cell. Only then the symptoms begin to appear and cancer cells appear when your body is examined.
However, in the case of children, gene damage has occurred in the womb or since birth. So, they do have innate genes that are damaged in the cells of the body so that the process of cancer formation does not require a long time.
In general, there are two cancer-causing factors that most often occur, namely:
- Faktor internal. Anda mungkin dilahirkan dengan mutasi genetik yang diwarisi dari orang tua Anda. Mutasi jenis ini bertanggung jawab atas sebagian kecil dari penyakit ini.
- Faktor eksternal. Kebanyakan mutasi gen terjadi setelah lahir dan tidak diwariskan. Sejumlah faktor dapat menyebabkan mutasi gen seperti merokok, radiasi, virus, bahan kimia penyebab kanker (karsinogen), obesitas, hormon, peradangan kronis, dan kurang olahraga.
Scientists do not know how many mutations must accumulate so they can cause cancer. Even so, scientists believe that the causes of cancer will vary in each person depending on the type of cancer they have. Consult your doctor to find out more complete causes of cancer. By knowing the various factors that cause cancer it is possible to reduce your risk of this disease in the future.
Risk factors
What increases my risk of developing cancer?
There are many factors that increase your risk of this disease, such as:
- Usia. Penyakit ini bisa memakan waktu puluhan tahun untuk tumbuh. Oleh karena itu, kebanyakan orang yang didiagnosis dengan penyakit ini berusia 65 tahun atau lebih. Meski begitu, penyakit ini bukan penyakit eksklusif untuk orang dewasa. Alasannya, penyakit ini juga bisa didiagnosis pada usia berapa pun.
- Kebiasaan buruk. Merokok, konsumsi alkohol yang berlebihan, paparan sinar matahari yang berlebihan, obesitas, dan hubungan seks yang tidak aman bisa menjadi faktor penyebab kanker.
- Sejarah keluarga. Dalam banyak kasus, penyakit ini menurun di alam. Jadi, Anda harus menjalani tes genetik untuk pencegahan lebih lanjut. Meski begitu, memiliki mutasi genetik yang diwariskan tidak berarti Anda akan mendapatkan penyakit ini.
- Kondisi kesehatan. Beberapa kondisi kesehatan kronis seperti radang borok usus besar dapat secara signifikan meningkatkan risiko pengembangan jenis penyakit tertentu.
- Lingkungan hidup. Bahan kimia berbahaya seperti asbes dan benzena di rumah atau di tempat kerja bisa menjadi faktor yang meningkatkan risiko penyakit ini. Bahkan jika Anda tidak merokok, Anda dapat menghirup asap rokok jika Anda berada di sekitar seseorang yang merokok atau tinggal bersama seseorang yang merokok.
Medicines & Medications
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.
How is cancer diagnosed?
It is highly recommended to diagnose the disease as soon as possible to get the best chance for healing, especially in the early stages. Doctors can use one or more approaches to diagnose this disease. Some of the tests that are commonly done by doctors to diagnose this disease include:
- Pemeriksaan fisik. Dokter Anda mungkin melakukan rektal digital jika Anda curiga Anda menderita penyakit ini di usus atau prostat. Metode pemeriksaan fisik lainnya juga dapat digunakan oleh dokter untuk mengklarifikasi diagnosis penyakit pasien.
- Tes laboratorium. Dokter dapat melakukan tes darah untuk menggambarkan kesehatan keseluruhan pasien dan mendeteksi segala kelainan.
- Tes pencitraan. Berbagai tes pencitraan seperti PET scan, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, dan CT scan dapat digunakan untuk mengetahui apakah penyakit telah menyebar.
- Biopsi. Prosedur ini dilakukan dengan mengeluarkan sepotong kecil jaringan untuk diperiksa di bawah mikroskop. Sampel yang diambil dalam biopsi kemudian dianalisis oleh ahli patologi. Ia akan mengevaluasi sel, jaringan, dan organ dalam tes laboratorium untuk menentukan diagnosis penyakit pasien.
What are the cancer drugs?
Cancer drugs basically depend on the type and stage of the disease, potential side effects, as well as the choice and general health of the patient. In general, here are some of the most common cancer drugs:
1. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses chemicals with strong intensity to kill fast-growing cells in the body. Chemotherapy is most often used as a cancer drug, because cells in this disease develop faster than normal cells in the body.
Chemotherapy drugs can be used alone or combined as a cancer drug. Chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many of these types of disease but has a risk of side effects that must also be wary of.
2. Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a treatment method that relies on radiation by using high-energy waves such as x-rays, gamma, protons, and electrons to kill cancer cells. Although radiotherapy is most often used as a cancer drug, but sometimes this therapy is also used to treat patients who are not affected by this disease, such as tumors and disorders of the thyroid gland.
3. Target therapy
Target therapy is therapy that uses drugs or other chemicals to identify and attack cancer cells specifically without killing normal cells. This therapy includes:
- Antibodi monoklonal
- Inhibitor tirosin kinase
- Inhibitor kinase dependen-siklin (inhibitor kinase dependen-siklin)
Home remedies
What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat cancer?
The following lifestyle changes can help you prevent and treat cancer:
- The following lifestyle changes can help you prevent and treat cancer:
- Do not smoke. Smoking has been linked to various types of this disease — including the lungs, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, uterus and kidneys.
- Makanlah makanan yang sehat.
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
- Limit processed meat.
- Maintain a healthy and physically active weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of various types of this disease, including breast, prostate, lung, large intestine, and kidney.
- Protect yourself from the sun.
- Get regular medical care.
If you have questions, consult your doctor to understand the best solution for you.
