Cancer 101
The basics...
It's about
cell division...
Normally, every cell in you body divides in a controlled manner. I won't bore you with the medical specifics (google "cell division" if you want to know more) [Other search engines are available.] Essentially, there's whole set of rules for how things like DNA, chromosomes, etc. split cells in a controlled manner.
Just what is cancer?
Your body is made up of millions and millions and millions of cells. Over your lifespan, these cells are programmed to grow, divide and (ultimately) die as necessary. For example, when you cut yourself, your skin cells will grow new cells to replace the damaged ones. When cells become old or abnormal, they usually die.
So, cancer starts when something goes wrong with this normal cell life cycle and instead of dying these now abnormal cells keep growing and keep dividing. They end up crowding out normal cells.
If left unchecked, cancer can invade nearby tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.
Cancer is uncontrolled cell division!
Benign vs. Malignant Tumours...
Tumors may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumors may grow large but do not spread into, or invade, nearby tissues or other parts of the body. Malignant tumors can spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. They can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.
Primary and secondary cancers...
Primary cancer refers to the location of original cancer. Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast, bowel cancer starts in the bowel, and so on.
When a cancer spreads to other parts of the body it does not become a new cancer. So, if your bowel cancer spreads to your liver, it does not become liver cancer. It is still bowel cancer.
Secondary cancer is the same type of cancer as the original (primary) cancer - it has migrated to other parts of the body. The medical term used for this is metastasized.
Understand the cancer stages...
Stage 1
Small cancer in one area. Called early stage cancer.
Stage 2
Cancer (tumour) is larger and growing.
Stage 3
Cancer is growing and has reached lymph nodes.
Stage 4
Cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Staging describes how far the cancer had advanced and how big the cancer has become. Catching the cancer in its early stages dramatically improves the odds of long term survival.
If something doesn't feel right, then please go see you GP sooner rather than later. It really doesn't matter if you think its too much bother for your GP. GPs would rather say "Take 2 aspirin and take it easy" rather than say "I wish you had come to see me sooner."
No stage is good.
For obvious reasons, you do not want to told you have a stage 4 cancer.
Lymph Nodes and cancer...
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped organs that are the size of a pea. You have nodes throughout your body including in your armpits, neck and groin. Your lymph nodes can swell or get bigger, which is a sign that your body is fighting an infection or an illness.
Sometimes, when people aren't feeling well, they may say "My glands are up". They may not necessarily know that it's the lymph nodes that are swollen.
If cancer is found in one or more lymph nodes, then more tests are needed to know how far the cancer has spread. Test result will help determine the stage of your cancer and the best treatment options.
When a surgeon operates to remove a primary cancer, they may remove one or more of the nearby (regional) lymph nodes as well. Removal of one lymph node is considered a biopsy, but when many lymph nodes are removed, it’s called lymph node dissection. When cancer has spread to lymph nodes, there’s a higher risk that the cancer might come back after surgery.
Remission vs. cured...
Doctors typically say that your cancer is in remission if there is no sign of cancer in your body. If there are any cancer cells left, they are too few to find.
If you remain in remission for 5 years or more, then some doctors may say that you are cured. However, some cancer cells may remain in your body for many years after treatment.
Understand stage 4 survival rates...
The above chart shows the stark reality of your chances of surviving cancer once it spreads to other organs (i.e. it has become a stage 4 cancer). This highlights the urgency and necessity of getting diagnosed early.
Go and google cancer survival rates [other search engines are available] and you will be inundated with hundreds (if not thousands) of hits that show how you chances of survival depend on what stage of cancer you are at.
What is an acceptable risk for you? The survival percentage numbers should be reason enough to get you past your fear and embarrassment and call your GP sooner, not later.
Key Takeaway
Act now and don't wait till you get to stage 4...