Cryptic Killer: Cancer remains mysterious, dangerous Harsimran Makkad staff writer
T
he human body is made up of trillions of living cells. Normally, these cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly way. This happens faster in the early years of a person’s life and slows down after becoming an adult. With all this dividing, many genetic mutations are bound to occur. Usually, they are not harmful to the body. However, if these abnormal cells start growing out of control, it becomes known as cancer. The term “cancer” was first used in ancient Rome. It came from the Latin word cancer meaning “crab.” This is believed to refer to the shape of the disease.
Causes of cancer
Cells become cancerous due to damage in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Found in every cell, DNA acts as the instructions for the all cell functions. In a normal cell, when DNA is damaged, the cell either repairs the damage or dies. But, in cancer cells, the damaged DNA is not repaired, and the cell continues making new cells similar to the original. “Cancer is like a Trojan Horse. It’s your own cells killing you from the inside out. You trusted them to keep you alive and suddenly they turn against you,” freshman Lauren Ma said. For most cases, cancer cells form a tumor which can replace normal tissue, crowd it, or push it aside over a period of time. A tumor is an
It is not just the cancer patients who are affected by the disease. Their families and friends must also overcome the challenges faced with caretaking. Each person must face the uncertainty of what is to come along their journey. Photo Courtesy of MCT Photo
abnormal collection of cells. Those that do not spread to other parts of the body are called benign and are not cancerous. Some cancers, like leukemia, involve the circulatory or lymph system which help the disease to spread, a process that is called metastasis.
Prevention methods
The American Cancer Society recommends being physically active, eating a healthy diet, reducing alcohol intake, and avoiding all forms of tobacco as well as carcinogens, and radiation. “A few words of advice I have for you: never go to a tanning bed and always make sure to go see a doctor if there are any abnormal changes that you notice,” teacher Mrs. Beth LeBlanc said. “I never realized that the bump I had was skin cancer until I asked my dermatologist.” It is also suggested to get the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, especially for females between the ages of 11 and 18.
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Significant Quotes
“I live each day like it’s my last. It gets on my nerves when people say, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I hate to leave people, but when my chapter ends, that’s it. You have to go with the flow.” -survivor Pam Trombero
“It’s been a real roller coaster ride. I’ve never been a fan of roller coasters, but this is the worst.” -caretaker Elise F.
“Cancer gave me an early brush with life and death that in turn gave me an early maturity and understanding of the importance of family, friends, and hope.” -survivor Julie Turner
” Source: cancer.org
Common Signs or Symptoms of Cancer: Coughing up blood may be a sign of lung cancer.
Nagging cough or hoarseness may be a sign of lung cancer or cancer of the larynx, or voice box.
An unexplained weight loss of 10 or more pounds may be the first sign of pancreatic, stomach, or lung cancer.
Unnatural skin and changes and sores that do not heal may be a sign of skin cancer.
Blood in the urine may be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer. Cancer of the cervix or endometrium can cause abnormal vaginal bleeding.
Long-term constipation or diarrhea may be a sign of colon cancer.
Common symptoms of most cancers include unexpected weight loss, fever, fatigue, and pain that does not go away. Image Courtesy of Harsimran Makkad
As for spotting cancer, early detection methods can help with treating pre-cancerous changes to keep them from growing. This includes pap tests for women and colonoscopy for people age 50 and older. The earlier cancer is found, the higher the chance of survival.
Diagnosis and treatment
If a doctor suspects cancer, they will run more tests such as x-rays, blood tests, and a biopsy. A biopsy is when a piece of the abnormal area is sent to be examined under a microscope. With treating cancer, there are a variety of options such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. “I definitely think that treatment works. My grandma survived 17 years with cancer because of all the treatment she received,” freshman Maia Davidson said. “The only treatment I know is chemotherapy. I don’t think it’s effective because aren’t there a lot of people still dying from it?” Ma said. With treatments come remission. This is a period of time when the cancer is responding to treatment, but it does not mean the cancer is cured. Even so, cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the United States. About one-half of
all men and one-third of all women will develop cancer during their lifetimes. It is common for people to know someone with cancer, victim or survivor. Two recent examples can be seen with the deaths of former Maple Dale teacher Mrs. Susan Sauer and Greene school teacher Mrs. Erin Gibbens. “High school students should know more about cancer. Someone around them could suddenly be diagnosed with it, and they’d have no idea how to help,” Ma said. “It’s better to know and it never come up in your life than it show up and be ignorant. Always be prepared and have plans.”
Cancer Stats
Survival rates for common cancers…
Males: 43% prostate, 9% colon and rectum, 8% melanoma Females: 41% breast, 8% uterine corpus, 8% rectum 45% are age 70 or above, 5% are 40 years or below
Global numbers…
12.7 million new cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths each year
National numbers…
$216.6 billion in annual costs for cancer
Chances of developing cancer… of dying from cancer…
Males: 43.31% 22.83% 19.26 Females: 37.81% Sources: US National Cancer Institute’s SEER Database, National Institutes of Health (NIH), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)