Surgery has changed people's life with
cancer and some have ruined it.

Should More People Be Aware Of Cancer?

Cancer is very common in the United States. 23,678,000 million people have cancer in the United States and that was in 2008 and that was some cancers not all. Imagine it now, 2012, lots of more people have cancer and many have survived this deadly disease. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal (not normal, rare) cells in the body. These cells are called cancerous cells or malignant cells.

Researchers believe that cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too quickly. It also can happen when cells forget how to die.

There are many kinds of cancers that can develop in almost any organ or tissue. There can be cancer in your lungs, skin, bones, and so much more.

The most common cause of cancer-related death is lung cancer. Lung cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer are most common in women. Prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer are most common in men. Though there are still many more kinds of cancers like brain, cervical, kidney, liver and skin cancer that still affect people.

Causes of many cancers still remain unknown. However, like dangerous chemicals, drinking excess alcohol, environmental toxins, excessive sunlight exposure, genetic problems, obesity, radiation, and viruses can easily give you some type of cancer.

In different parts of the world some cancers can be more common where they are and in another place it could be extremely rare. For example, in Japan, stomach cancer is actually very common and here in the United States it’s rare. Researchers think that diet plays a role in this in other the type of food.

Symptoms are different; it depends on where the cancer is.  Lung cancer causes coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain.  You wouldn’t have these symptoms for every cancer just for lung cancer.

Some cancers don’t even have any symptoms, like pancreatic cancer (cancer in the pancreas) does not have any symptoms until the cancer has gotten to advance stage.

In most cancers they have symptoms like chills, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, malaise, night sweats, and weight loss.

Radiation is a painless treatment. To
many it has help but some not really.

Treatment varies based on its stage and type of cancer. If the cancer has not spread to any part of the body and has stayed in the location it started the would likely do surgery to cure the cancer. They often use surgery for skin cancers as well as lung, breast, and colon cancer. If the cancer did spread to any other parts of the body and surgery could not remove all of the cancer then the treatment they would use would be radiation ,chemotherapy or both. Some cancers require all 3, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Some cancers can be cured. You could have cancer and still be alive for many years. But some can be quickly life threatening.

Things can get complicated with cancer. The cancer may spread to the rest of the body and could be harder to cure.

To prevent cancer there are many things you can do. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, don’t expose yourself to radiation, no smoking, don’t chew tobacco and reducing sun exposure. These things can save your life, reduce the chance of getting cancer.

“I think that kids have more chance of having cancer because they are younger and have not developed” states student Dulce Sanabria. “ I think that both kids and adults have an equal amount of cancer because cancer can be unexpected” says Robin Lee. Cancer is found in more in adults and rare if its found in children. “Yes I do think that cancers that do not have a cure will have a cure in the furture because specialist and researchers are looking for a cure” explains Robin Lee. “ There is probably going to be a cure because the rate of technology and medicine it will be easier for researchers and specialist.

To help and support people who can’t afford treatment and help researchers find a cure for cancer donate money to  your nearest  foundation and save a person’s life.

Word Count: 691

By: Liset Morales

Photos- http://www.breastcancer.org/Images/RadOvrHdMac_tcm8-329971.jpg

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