Why haven't we found a definitive cure for cancer yet?
- aaravmarya
- Aug 16, 2022
- 3 min read
Cancer, A disease that kills roughly 10 million people each year (WHO 2020) and is also among the leading causes of death worldwide had been discovered over five thousand years ago. Surprisingly there is no definite cure for cancer, but how so? To answer this question we first must know what is cancer
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. In simple terms Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and multiply (through a process called cell division) to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes this orderly process breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply when they shouldn’t. These cells may form tumors, which are lumps of tissue. Tumors can be cancerous or not cancerous (benign).
Cancerous tumors spread into, or invade, nearby tissues and can travel to distant places in the body to form new tumors (a process called metastasis). Cancerous tumors may also be called malignant tumors. Many cancers form solid tumors, but cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not.
How does Cancer affect the body?
As mentioned above, cells divide uncontrollably and infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. If you are a patient with cancer you may suffer from the following...
Fatigue
Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin
Weight changes, including unintended loss or gain
Skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, or changes to existing moles
Changes in bowel or bladder habits
Persistent cough or trouble breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Hoarseness
Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating
Persistent, unexplained muscle or joint pain
Persistent, unexplained fevers or night sweats
Unexplained bleeding or bruising
How does one get cancer?
Cancer is usually an inherited disease. If your family has a history of Cancer then it is more likely that you would also inherit it in the future. I highly recommend you to visit your doctor if you have any persistent signs or symptoms that concern you. If you don't have any signs or symptoms, but are worried about your risk of cancer, discuss your concerns with your doctor. Ask about which cancer screening tests and procedures are appropriate for you. Cancer is caused by certain changes to genes, the basic physical units of inheritance.
The following are the top causes of Cancer:
1Genetics
1.1Cancer syndromes
2Physical and chemical agents
2.1Smoking
2.2Materials
3Lifestyle
3.1Alcohol
3.2Diet
3.3Obesity
4Hormones
5Infection and inflammation
5.1Viruses
5.2Bacteria and parasites
5.3Inflammation
6Radiation
6.1Non-ionizing radiation
6.2Ionizing radiation
7Rare causes
7.1Organ transplantation
7.2Trauma
7.3Maternal-fetal transmission
Current treatments of Cancer:
For a disease existing for over 5000 years, you would expect many treatments for cancer. Please note that I have said 'treatments' and not 'cure' because there is no cure for cancer which is very sad. Many people are treated for cancer, live out the rest of their life, and die of other causes. Many others are treated for cancer and still die from it, although treatment may give them more time: even years or decades. There are 7 types of cancer treatments.
Surgery.
Chemotherapy.
Radiation Therapy.
Targeted Therapy.
Immunotherapy.
Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplant.
Hormone Therapy.
The most common treatments for Cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Why haven't we found a definite cure for Cancer yet?
This is because Every cancer is caused by a different set of mutations and as the tumor grows, more and more mutations accumulate. This means that every tumor has an individual set of mutations, so a drug that works for one cancer patient, might have absolutely no effect on another. So it makes it almost impossible to cure cancer.
Almost?
Yes!, Scientists are trying to find out new cures for cancer. A really popular one is radiopharmaceuticals. It delivers radiation therapy directly and specifically to cancer cells. The future of cancer is now in the hand of the world's leading scientists.
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lmao thx for this idint know wht was cancer i thought it was some kind of std