Cancer is a large group of diseases with one thing in common: They all happen when normal cells become cancerous cells that multiply and spread.
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. But fewer people are dying of cancer now than 20 years ago. Early detection and innovative treatments are curing cancer and helping people with cancer live longer. At the same time, medical researchers are identifying independent risk factors linked to developing cancer to help prevent people from developing cancer.
What are cancer symptoms?
Cancer is a complicated disease. You can have cancer for years without developing symptoms. Other times, cancer may cause noticeable symptoms that get worse very quickly. Many cancer symptoms resemble other, less serious illnesses. Having certain symptoms doesn’t mean you have cancer. In general, you should talk to a healthcare provider anytime there’s a change in your body that lasts for more than two weeks.
Skin changes, particularly moles that change shape and size or new moles.
Left untreated, cancer may cause additional symptoms, including:
Bruising or bleeding more easily.
Lumps or bumps under your skin that don’t go away.
Difficulty breathing.
Difficulty swallowing.
How do healthcare providers treat cancer?
Healthcare providers may use several different treatments, sometimes combining treatments based on your situation. Common cancer treatments include:
Chemotherapy:Chemotherapy is one of the most common cancer treatments. It uses powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells. You may receive chemotherapy in pill form or intravenously (through a needle into a vein). In some cases, providers may be able to direct chemotherapy to the specific area affected.
Radiation therapy:This treatment kills cancer cells with high dosages of radiation. Your healthcare provider may combine radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Surgery:Cancerous tumors that haven’t spread may be removed with surgery. Your healthcare provider may recommend therapy. This treatment combines surgery with chemotherapy or radiation to shrink a tumor before surgery or to kill cancer cells that may remain after surgery.
Hormone therapy:Sometimes, providers prescribe hormones that block other cancer-causing hormones. For example, men and people assigned male at birth who have prostate cancer might receive hormones to keep testosterone (which contributes to prostate cancer) lower than usual.
Biological response modifier therapy:This treatment stimulates your immune system and helps it perform more effectively. It does this by changing your body’s natural processes.
Immunotherapy for cancer:Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that engages your immune system to fight the disease. The treatment may be called biological therapy.
Targeted therapy for cancer: Targeted therapy is a cancer treatment that targets the genetic changes or mutations that turn healthy cells into cancer cells.
Bone marrow transplant: Also called stem cell transplantation, this treatment replaces damaged stem cells with healthy ones. Autologous transplantation uses your supply of healthy stem cells. Allogeneic transplantation uses stem cells donated by another person.
What are cancer treatment side effects?
Healthcare providers work to balance the treatment so it destroys cancer without harmful or lasting side effects. Even so, all cancer treatments have side effects. Some treatments cause side effects that last for years after treatment is completed. Many people benefit from palliative care that eases cancer symptoms and treatment side effects. The most common cancer treatment side effects are:
Healthcare providers begin a cancer diagnosis by doing a comprehensive physical examination. They’ll ask you to describe your symptoms. They may ask about your family medical history. They may also do the following tests:
Tumor markers: Tumor markers are substances that cancer cells release or that your normal cells release in response to cancer cells.
Blood protein tests: Healthcare providers use a process called electrophoresis to measure immunoglobulins. Your immune system reacts to certain cancers by releasing immunoglobulins.
Circulating tumor cell tests: Cancerous tumors may shed cells. Tracking tumor cells helps healthcare providers monitor cancer activity.
X-rays: X-rays use safe amounts of radiation to create images of your bones and soft tissues.
Positron emission test (PET) scan: PET scans produce images of your organs and tissues at work. Healthcare providers may use this test to detect early signs of cancer.
Ultrasound: An ultrasound uses high-intensity sound waves that show structures inside of your body.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRIs use a large magnet, radio waves and a computer to create images of your organs and other structures inside of your body.
A biopsy is a procedure healthcare providers do to obtain cells, tissue, fluid or growths that they’ll examine under a microscope. There are several kinds of biopsies:
Needle biopsy: This test may be called a fine needle aspiration or fine needle biopsy. Healthcare providers use a thin hollow needle and syringe to extract cells, fluid or tissue from suspicious lumps. Needle biopsies are often done to help diagnose breast cancer, thyroid cancer or cancer in your lymph nodes.
Skin biopsy: Healthcare providers remove a small sample of your skin to diagnose skin cancer.
Bone marrow biopsy: Healthcare providers remove a small sample of bone marrow so they can test the sample for signs of disease, including cancer in your bone marrow.
Endoscopic or laparoscopic biopsy: These biopsies use an endoscope or laparoscope to see the inside of your body. With both of these methods, a small cut is made in your skin and an instrument is inserted. An endoscope is a thin, flexible tube with a camera on the tip, along with a cutting tool to remove your sample. A laparoscope is a slightly different scope.
Excisional or incisional biopsy: For these open biopsies, a surgeon cuts into your body and either the entire tumor is removed (excisional biopsy) or a part of the tumor is removed (incisional biopsy) to test or treat it.
Perioperative biopsy: This test may be called a frozen section biopsy. This biopsy is done while you’re having another procedure. Your tissue will be removed and tested right away. Results will come in soon after the procedure, so if you need treatment, it can start immediately.
Genetic testing
Cancer may happen when a single gene mutates or several genes that work together mutate. Researchers have identified more than 400 genes associated with cancer development. People who inherit these genes from their biological parents may have an increased risk of developing cancer. Healthcare providers may recommend genetic testing for cancer if you have an inherited form of cancer. They may also do genetic testing to do therapy that targets specific cancer genes. They use test results to develop a diagnosis. They’ll assign a number or stage to your diagnosis. The higher the number, the more cancer has spread.
How is cancer stage determined?
Healthcare providers use cancer staging systems to plan treatment and develop a prognosis or expected outcome. TNM is the most widely used cancer staging system. T stands for primary tumor. N stands for lymph nodes and indicates whether a tumor has spread to your lymph nodes. M stands for metastasis, when cancer spreads.
What are the four stages of cancer?
Most cancers have four stages. The specific stage is determined by a few different factors, including the tumor’s size and location:
Stage I: The cancer is localized to a small area and hasn’t spread to lymph nodes or other tissues.
Stage II: The cancer has grown, but it hasn’t spread.
Stage III: The cancer has grown larger and has possibly spread to lymph nodes or other tissues.
Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other organs or areas of your body. This stage is also referred to as metastatic or advanced cancer.
Though stages one through four are the most common, there’s also a Stage 0. This earliest phase describes cancer that’s still localized to the area in which it started. Cancers that are still in Stage 0 are usually easily treatable and are considered pre-cancerous by most healthcare providers.
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