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.