Although only a film about the cure for cancer, ‘The Medicine Man’ did bring home the need for more research into cancer; cancer has killed untold millions, but each year the cure for this disease gets another step closer. The cure will come eventually and the world will rejoice that this awful disease that can strike anyone at any time has been silenced. The causes for cancer seem to be many but despite all the knowledge we gain, it is still almost impossible to know if or when a person will contract it.
First off it is a good idea to understand exactly what cancer is and try to ascertain whether it is hereditary or something you can acquire. This is a disease where unhealthy cells grow, divide and then expand into other cells, often transferring to parts of the body using a method called metastasis.
Unlike a malignant cancerous tumor,a benign one, does not invade other cells and continue to grow. Many people are affected by them and do not even know it. In rare circumstances a benign tumor may turn malignant. It is the leading cause of death in any population. And the older you get the greater your chances of getting cancer.It accounts for about 13 percent of all deaths worldwide.
Nearly all cancers are caused by abnormalities in the genetic material of the transformed cells; these abnormalities may be caused by other poisons within the body from smoking, radiation, chemicals or other infectious agents.
For some people the problem lies not with any form of external poison although faults with their parents DNA or genetic makeup can result in a person being born with the diseased cells. It would seem some people are more susceptible to it than others and it may be their genetic makeup and their exposure to certain carcinogens that is responsible.
Owing to the worldwide problem of cancer, it is regularly studied throughout the world and extending our knowledge on the subject. Much of the world’s research into diseases is to try and find the reason why some people do not contract certain diseases whilst others do. By understanding the origins of cancer, perhaps we will be able to avoid contracting it until we come up with a cure.
There is a saying You Are What You Eat and this is now being looked at more closely as food may have a direct effect on the incidence of the disease in certain groups. There are certain foods that are considered risky such as excess salt in the diet, too much saturated fat and overindulgence in dairy foods. In particular, excess calcium is believed to have a direct effect on the incidence of prostrate cancer amongst men around the world.
Cancer can strike anywhere in the body and each is a specialist type to the organ or part of the body it has infected. Some people can have cancer for several years before they have any symptoms and this does not help their chances of being cured. However, mortality rates from cancer are decreasing and although a cure may not be possible, there are treatments available to slow its spread.
For those people diagnosed with cancer, my heart goes out to them and their families; however, the constant research is paying off and the life expectancy of cancer victims is increasing all the time.