Cancer Risk Factor and causes

Posted By: Pankaj Patel

There is no single cause for cancer. Scientists think that it is the interaction of plenty of factors together that produces cancer. The factors involved may be genetic, environmental or constitutional characteristics of the individual. Diagnosis, treatment & prognosis for childhood cancers are different than for adult cancers. The main differences are the survival rate & the reason for the cancer. The survival rate for childhood cancer is about 75 percent, while in adult cancers the survival rate is 60 percent. This difference is thought to be because childhood cancer is more responsive to therapy, & a kid can tolerate more aggressive therapy.

Childhood cancers often occur or start in the stem cells, which are simple cells able to producing other types of specialized cells that the body needs. A sporadic (occurs by chance) cell change or mutation is usually what causes childhood cancer. In adults, the type of cell that becomes cancerous is usually an "epithelial" cell, which is of the cells that line the body cavity - including the surfaces of organs, glands or body structures - & cover the body surface. Cancer in adults usually occurs from environmental exposures to these cells over time. Adult cancers are sometimes known as "acquired" for this reason.

Some cancers, in adults, have been associated with sure risk factors. A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. A risk factor does not necessarily cause the disease, but it may make the body less resistant to it. Individuals who have an increased risk of developing cancer can help to protect themselves by scheduling regular screenings and check-ups with their physician and by avoiding sure risk factors. Cancer treatment has been proven to be more effective when the cancer is detected early.

 

Family history, inheritance and genetics may play an important role in some adult and childhood cancers. It is feasible for cancer of varying forms to be present over one time in a relatives. Some gene alterations are inherited. However, this does not necessarily mean that the person will create cancer. It indicates that the chance of developing cancer increases. It is unknown in these circumstances if the disease is caused by a genetic mutation, other factors or basically coincidence.

Lifestyle and environmental factors such as smoking, high-fat diet, exposure to ultraviolet (UV radiation from the sun) or exposure to chemicals (cancer-causing substances) in the workplace over long periods of time may be risk factors for some adult cancers. Most babies with cancer, however, are young to have been exposed to these lifestyle factors for any extended time.

Exposure to sure viruses, such as the human papillomavirus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency, or AIDS), have been linked to an increased risk of developing sure types of cancers. Possibly, the virus alters a cell in some way. That cell then reproduces an altered cell and, finally, these alterations become a cancer cell that reproduces more cancer cells. Cancer is not contagious as well as a person cannot contract cancer from another who has the disease.

Environmental exposures such as pesticides, fertilizers and power lines have been researched for a direct link to childhood cancers. There has been proof of cancer occurring among non related babies in sure neighborhoods and/or cities. Whether prenatal or kid exposure to these agents causes cancer, or whether it is a coincidence, is unknown.

Natural way to protect yourself against Cancer

Posted By: Pankaj Patel

The lovely news is, there is a lot you can do to protect yourself from cancer. Some steps you can take to dramatically diminish your chances of getting this illness. Keep in mind, this article is no substitute for the advice of your doctor.

Cancer is a leading cause of death in the Western world. A complex and often difficult-to-treat illness, cancer can strike at any age and cause devastation. When cancer strikes, normal cells in the body undergo a mutation which causes them to multiply out of control. This mass of abnormal cells forms a tumor. If left untreated, cancer cells from this tumor can break away and travel to other parts of the body, spawning more tumors. This activity leads to disruption of normal organ function where ever the tumors spread.

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, & brussel sprouts are believed to be nature's best cancer fighters. Include them often in your diet to benefit from their protection. Additionally, be definite to include foods high in antioxidants. In this realm blueberries reign supreme, but you can also get large doses from other berries, tea (green tea), red wine, dark chocolate, pecans, kidney beans, & lots of other foods. Antioxidants help your body neutralize free radicals--molecules that destroy living tissue. It is the buildup of this tissue destroy that can lead to cancer.

Lycopene, present in tomatoes & watermelon, has been shown to prevent positive types of cancers, most notably prostate cancer. Because prostate cancer is the the most common cancer of men, it is important that men lower their risk by getting lycopene. caveat to keep in mind is that lycopene requires fat in order to be absorbed in to the body, so Spanish dishes with tomato sauce & a small olive oil work well.

Lung cancer is the biggest killer of all forms of cancer, and smoking cigarettes dramatically increases your odds of getting this disease. If you are a smoker, quitting is the single most significant thing you can do to reduce your risk of cancer.

Alcohol has long been known as a scourge of the liver and a cause of cancer in the mouth and throat. Now new knowledge is emerging that alcohol consumption may contribute to other cancers. Specialists recommend that individuals in danger for heart issues continue to consume moderate amounts of alcohol for its health benefits, but to limit consumption to no over or drinks in a given day. 

A study from the University of Minnesota's Hormel institute suggests that gingerol (active constituent of fresh ginger) is a first rate cancer fighter. In the study, researchers fed mice specially bred to lack an immune method a half milligram of gingerol times a week before and after having human colorectal cancer cells injected in to their flanks. The control mice received no ginerol.
Tumors appeared 15 days after the mice were injected, and four tumors were present in the gingerol treated mice compared to 13 in the control mice and the tumors were smaller.

Ovarian cancer cells die under the influence of ginger

Lab experiments introduced at the 97th Annual Meeting of the The united states Association for Cancer, by Dr. Rebecca Lui and her colleagues from the University of New york, showed gingerols decimates ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (cell suicide) and autophagocytosis (self-digestion).
Dr. Liu examined the effect of a whole ginger extract containing five percent gingerol on a lot of different ovarian cancer cell lines. Exposure to the extract caused apoptosis in all the ovarian cancer lines studied.

Immune Therapy Treats Brain Tumors in Mice Successfully

Posted By: Pankaj Patel
 
Using an artificial protein that stimulates the body's natural immune technique to fight cancer, a research team at Duke Medicine has engineered a deadly weapon that kills brain tumors in mice while sparing other tissue. If it can be shown to work in humans, it would overcome a major hindrance that has hampered the effectiveness of immune-based therapies.

This work represents a revival of a elderly idea that targeting cancer with tumor-specific antigens may well be the most effective way to treat cancer without toxicity, said senior author John H. Sampson, M.D., PhD, a neurosurgeon at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Middle at Duke. "But there's been issues with that approach, for brain tumors. Therapeutic agent is thrilling, because it acts like Velcro to bind T-cells to tumor cells and induces them to kill without any negative effects on surrounding normal tissues.

Sampson and colleagues focused on the immune approach in brain tumors, which are notoriously difficult to treat. Despite surgical procedure, radiation and chemotherapy, glioblastomas are universally deadly, with a median survival of 15 months.

Immunotherapies, in which the body's B-cells and T-cells are triggered to assault tumors, have shown promise in treating brain and other cancers, but have been problematic in clinical use. Treatments have been difficult to administer at therapeutic doses, or have spurred side effects in which the immune method also assaults healthy tissue and organs.

                                                        What is Cancer?