Cancer Symptoms And Causes

Cancer is a term that is used to refer to a number of conditions where the body's cells begin to grow and reproduce in an uncontrollable way. This rapid growth of cancerous cells is known as a malignant tumor
Types of cancer
There are hundreds of different types of cancer. The most common cancers in the UK are:
breast cancer,
prostate cancer,
lung cancer
cancer of colon, or rectum,
bladder cancer, and
Ovarian cancer.


Breast cancer
Breast cancer is fairly common. One in eight Australian women will develop breast cancer before the age of 85. About 12,000 women and 84 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 in Australia. It it predicted that by 201 Breast cancer starts in the ducts or lobules of the breast. If the cancer cells spread outside the ducts or lobules of the breast into the surrounding tissue, this is called invasive breast cancer. Early breast cancer is an invasive breast cancer

Symptoms and causes
Common symptoms of breast cancer include:
A change in how the breast or nipple feels
you may experience nipple tenderness or notice a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
Change in how the breast or nipple looks
this could mean a change in the size or shape of the breast or a nipple that is turned slightly inward.

Family and Personal History of Breast Cancer. Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer doubles your risk of the disease. Having a second-degree relative like a grandmother or aunt with breast cancer increases your risk five-fold.

Lung Cancer
Cancer occurs when normal cells undergo a transformation that causes them to grow and multiply without the normal controls. The cells form a mass or tumor that differs from the surrounding tissues from which it arises.

Smoking
The incidence of lung cancer is strongly correlated with cigarette smoking, with about 90% of lung cancers arising as a result of tobacco use. The risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked over time;

Passive smoking

Passive smoking, or the inhalation of tobacco smoke from other smokers sharing living or working quarters, is also an established risk factor for the development of lung cancer.
When lung cancer metastasizes, the tumor in the lung is called the primary tumor, and the tumors in other parts of the body are called secondary tumors or metastatic tumors.

Safety Precautions
Some chemotherapy drugs are dangerous to others in these ways:
They can cause abnormal changes in DNA (mutagenic).
They may be able to alter development of a fetus or embryo, leading to birth defects (teratogenic).
They may be able to cause another type of cancer (carcinogenic)
If you are receiving chemotherapy drugs at home, you will be given special instructions and precautions to ensure the safety of your caregivers and those living with you.