Cancer Facts Notes

* Cancer, or the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body, may result, these cells become tumors that can spread through the body.

* Cancer can effect any type of organ or tissue. Your lungs, colon, breasts, skin, bones or even nerves can be infected.

* Some factors that may cause cancer are radiation, sunlight, tobacco, certain viruses, benzene and certain poisonous mushrooms and aflatoxins.

* The main cause of cancer is still undetermined.

* The top 3 cancers found in men in the U.S.A are prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.

* The top 3 for U.S. women are breast cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.

* Japan has the most cases of gastric cancer while in the U.S. this is a very rare cancer.

* Many other types of cancer include:

~Brain cancer

~Cervical cancer

~Uterine cancer

~Liver cancer

~Leukemia

~Hodgkin's lymphoma

~Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

~Kidney cancer

~Ovarian cancer

~Skin cancer

~Testicular cancer

~Thyroid cancer

* Most of the comon symptoms assotiated with most cancers are:

~Fever

~Chills

~Night Sweats

~Weight Loss

~Loss of Appetite

~Fatigue

~Malaise

* Some tests for cancer include:

~CT scan

~Complete Blood Count (CBC)

~Blood Chemistries

~Biopsy of the tumor

~Bone marrow biopsy (for lymphoma or leukemia)

~Chest x-ray

Most cancers can be diagnosed by a biopsy, however, depending on where the tumor is, it may get complicated.

~Cancer can be spread by heredity and is the cause for most of the cancer occurrences.

~Identical twins have a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer if their mother's and/or father's family has a history of cancer.

~Cancer is not a contagious disease. There is no proven fact yet that cancer can be contracted by touch, kissing, sharing beverages or taking care of another cancer infected patient.

~Diet also has no effect on whether or not you get cancer, however, some people believe that certain diets may have a higher influence on the development of cancer.

~Sometimes cancer can seem like a bad infection and certain animal experiments with malignant tumors seemed to speed up the growth of cancer.

~Sometimes, the estrogen of the ovary stimulate the growth of cancer in the body. Unbalenced hormonal levels can lead to the development of cancer.

~New facts about cancer are constantly coming out.

~Women are more prone to cancer due to the fact that estrogen levels can cause the cancer to grow faster.

Zach's Response

I also have had a cancer related death in my family. It is a very hard thing to deal with. I'm very sorry about your grandmother. I'm interested in this topic so I'm going to continue to read your blogs. I hope you find the information that you want to find. Good luck.

Stephens Response

Taylor I think I feel where you are coming from in this essay. I know it sucks to lose a relative. Especially one very close to you, but you have to ust keep going and try and remember the good times you had with her. I think poetry and art are good ways to vent all your built up stress. As you have told me in art class you do your best art work and poetry when you are trying to calm down about something that is stressing you.

Ryan's Response

Even though I haven't lost anybody to this terrible sickness, I can see how it can be depressing. This was a very well written post and it is a good idea for you to know as much as you can about this topic to understand better. I recomend that you take a field experience by being in a doctors foot steps, or just having an interview with one.I'm sure you will find a lot of information on cancer. Good luck.

Morgans response

This was the blog that caught my attention the most out of the ones I've read. You seem to know alot about it, which makes it easier to write about. I can't imagine it would be easy to talk about, but you did a very good job with writing this and I think it will interest many people because there are so many people that have dealt, or are dealing with this in their every day life.

Danielle's Response

I think you're blog is very appropriate for this assignment, because there is tons of information about cancer. You're post is very true, but very upsetting at the same time. I've experienced a lose in my family because of cancer and I am interested in the current information that you will find. I think you did a very good job creating your layout, and picking out your pictures. But as of your first post I think you did very well, and I wouldn't change anything if I was you.

Cancer Kills

As we all know, cancer is a very deadly disease that can snatch the ones you love right out of your arms. Cancer was something that I never expected nor wanted to have to deal with or experience in my life; it took the life of my grandmother, Terry, and I haven't been the same since. My grandmother fought cancer for roughly six years and she fought hard. The chemo completely drained her of all her strength, making it extremely hard for her to keep living. She lost a huge amount of weight, her eyes were hollow and sunken into her head and she was very sallow. She was so weak that she could barely hug me and my sister or hold our hands or anything.

I first found out she had cancer when my mom and dad brought me and Shayna downstairs and they were silent at first. My dad looked like he was about to cry, which is a big deal for him. My mom just looked at me and said, "girls I'm so sorry, Nanie has cancer and we don't know how long she has before she passes." I remember just being in utter shock and Shayna just bursting into tears at my side. I just went up to my room to draw, write poetry, anything to get my mind off the possibility of my grandmother not being here when I graduated middle school, high school, college! My Nanie had fought cancer for about four years before my parents told my sister and I about it.

My Nanie battled cancer for what seemed like ages but when she died I just felt as though I hadn't spent anytime with her. I remember the day she died like it was yesterday. She was laying on the couch in her living room and my dad and grandpa were watching The Amazing Race on CBS. My dad was holding her hand and so was my grandpa. When she died my dad said that her hand just went limp and he knew that was it. At least she was sleeping when she died so she went peacefully.

My Nanie has been gone for about three or four years and I still think about her all the time. She meant so much to me and my family.

I think that there will be a lot of new research happening so that I can track this topic for a while. Cancer is an ever-changing disease and it has taken far too many people's lives. People shouldn't have to suffer from this awful disease the way my Nanie did. I'm hoping to find loads of current information about cancer so I can understand the struggles my Nanie went through as well as other people who have or had (survived) this deadly disease.

There is so much ongoing research on cancer that I should have no trouble finding information on this topic however if anyone finds anything they think might help me in my search, please don't hesitate to send that info to me via my blog. I would greatly appreciate it. I know that I have chosen a fairly difficult topic to research but it will be worth my time and all the effort I put into this project. I'm researching this topic in memory and honor of my grandmother and I know it will be worth while. There is a good part to this story though, my mom's mother had breast cancer for maybe a year I believe and she is now a healthy woman thanks to the quick diagnosis. Now the disease did cost her both her breasts but I think that, had she chosen not to get the mastectomy, she may not be here today.

Again, if anyone finds any info that you think may be useful to my research please send it to my blog, I will be very greatful! Thanks!
~Taylor♥