|
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell
growth and form a tumor.
The cancer is very serious if the tumor begins to spread throughout
the body.
When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and
grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, the result is
a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.
Not all tumors are cancerous, there
are two classification of tumors :
1.
Benign tumors:
generally cancerous and do not spread to other parts of the
body. However, some could be precancerous and may progress to cancer
if untreated.
2.
Malignant tumors:
cancerous and if not treated early, may spread and affect other
parts of the body, becoming invasive cancer.
What
causes cancer?
There are no
definite answers on what causes most cancers. Lifestyle habits and
recreation or substances in our environment affecting the body are
commonly identified as highly possible risk factors. Other identified
high risk factors for cancer include smoking, diet, chemicals and
asbestos. Cancer is not contagious; you will not catch it by coming into
contact with someone who has it.
Cancer in
Malaysia
The top 4 cancers affecting both male and female in Malaysia are:
1. Colorectal (bowel)
2. Breast
3. Lung
4. Cervical
Colorectal (bowel) Cancer
Colorectal
is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your
digestive system.
Colorectal cancer also known as
colon cancer or large
bowel cancer.
Most colorectal cancers develop first as colorectal polyps, which are
growths inside the colon or rectum that may later become cancerous.
Colorectal cancer affects both men and women , and is most often found
in people aged 50 years or older.
Some factors that increase a
person's risk of colorectal cancer such as:
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a kind of
cancer that develops from breast cells. Breast cancer usually begins in
the cell of the lobules, which are the inner lining of the milk ducts
that supply them with milk. A
malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that can then invade
surrounding tissues or spread to other areas of the body. The majority
of breast cancer occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it too.
Many risk factors can increase your chance of developing breast cancer
such as:
Lung Cancer
Lung
cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that start off in in
one or both of the lungs. The
abnormal cells do not develop into healthy lung tissue, they divide
rapidly and form tumor.
Lung cancer occurs when a tumor forms in the tissue of the lung.
There are two major types of lung cancer:
-
Non-small cell lung cancer is
more common than small cell lung cancer.
-
Small cell lung cancer grows
more quickly and is more likely to spread to other organs in the
body
Some factors increase lung cancer risk :
-
Tobacco
smoke
-
Exposure to
radon gas
-
Occupational exposure to certain chemicals (arsenic,
asbestos, beryllium, cadmium, coal )
-
Past cancer
treatment
-
Air
pollution
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer
forms in the tissues of the cervix, which is the muscular opening of the
uterus into the vagina.
Cervical cancer occurs most commonly in women over the age of 30. Cervical
cancer can often be successfully treated when it's found early by taking
Pap tests (a
procedure in which cells are scraped from the cervix and looked at under
a microscope).
Cervical cancer risk factors include :
page 1 ,
2 ,
3
DID YOU KNOW...?
Loving, Caring , Sharing
received the HAP (Humanitarian Accountability Partnership)
certification in 2006 and subsequently revamped or introduced
methods and processes in order to be truly accountable to donors,
partners and beneficiaries.
Your support inspires us
to continue our humanitarian work. Help us to do more.
|
