According to independent surveys, around 9.5 million people worldwide die of cancer each year which means about 26,000 cancer deaths per day. Here are 10 facts you should know about cancer:
1. Cancer is a disease when abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way.
2. There are more than 200 different types of cancer.
3. Tumor is the name from where the cancer starts, tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems.
4. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign.
5. Cancer that spreads from its place of origin to another place in the body is called metastatic cancer and the process is called metastasis. E.g. breast cancer that spreads and forms a tumor in the lung is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.
6. Not every change in body’s tissues is cancer, before forming cancer cells in tissues cells go through abnormal changes called hyperplasia and dysplasia.
7. In hyperplasia, the number of cells in an organ or tissue increase but appear normal under a microscope.
8. Dysplasia is a more serious than hyperplasia, there is also a buildup of extra cells. The cells look abnormal under a microscope but are not cancer.
9. However Hyperplasia and dysplasia may or may not become cancer.
10. Some types of dysplasia may need to be monitored or treated. An example of dysplasia is an abnormal mole that forms on the skin. A dysplastic nevus can turn into melanoma, although most do not.
According to the World Health Organization, detecting cancer early can greatly increase chances for successful treatment.
Also read: World Cancer Day 2019: Interview with Dr Sandeep Nayak