What is Cancer?

Part 1 of Having the Cancer Conversation

What is cancer? 

 Definition: According to the Oxford Dictionary, cancer is a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body. 

Definition explained: The cells in our body are constantly dividing. This is how your body grows and repairs itself. As babies grow, their cells multiply to make them grow. Their tiny bodies continue to grow until they reach their final adult-size bodies and then they stop growing. From then on, their bodies replace old cells as they die off, but they don’t need to grow anymore. 

With cancer cells, something in a normal cell goes haywire which causes a normal cell to become cancerous. Normal cells know when to stop dividing, but cancer cells don’t have an off button, so they keep multiplying. Soon a small clump of abnormal cells turns into a tumor. If the cancer cells continue to multiply without being stopped, the tumor grows and invades healthy tissue. As the tumor continues to grow, the healthy tissue becomes damaged by the cancer cells, and it cannot perform its function properly. 

What causes cancer? 

Many things can contribute to one getting cancer. These are known as risk factors. They are called risk factors because they can increase the risk that you might get cancer, but they do not necessarily cause cancer. 

For example, siblings who come from the same parents and grow up in the same environment, yet one gets cancer, but the others don’t. They were all exposed to the same risk factors, but only one got cancer.

Let’s look at some cancer risk factors:

Lifestyle:  

Some lifestyles put folks at a higher risk of getting cancer. For example:

Prolonged sun / UV exposure can lead to melanoma.

Being overweight or obese can increase the chances of getting cancer of the esophagus, colorectal, mouth, throat, larynx, breast, and liver. 

Decreased physical activity can contribute to cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, colon, rectum, breast, kidney, thyroid, gallbladder, uterus, and liver.

A diet high in red meat, sugar, processed food, and trans fats can all increase your chance of getting colorectal cancer as well as mouth and throat cancer.

Smoking increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, lungs, throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix. 

Drinking alcohol may contribute to female breast, liver, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and bowel.

Certain infections can up the potential for cancer. For instance, the human papillomavirus, or HPV, can lead to cervical, vulvar, or vaginal cancer; cancer of the penis or anus; cancer of the back of the throat; cancer at the base of the tongue, or cancer of the tonsils.

Genetic causes: 

Some cancers are linked to genetic causes. These include:

Breast and uterine cancer may be caused by the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Genes that can cause colorectal cancers include MSH2, MSH6, MLH, PMS2, and EPCAM.

Prostate cancer may be caused by the genes BRCA1, BRCA2, and HOXB13.

Environmental causes:  

Even the environment in which we live can increase our potential for cancer. Some of these sources and the cancer they cause include:

Air pollution can increase the possibility of getting cancer of the lung, breast, or liver.

Asbestos can lead to Mesothelioma or lung cancer.

Benzene can cause cancer in the blood and lymph nodes. 

Beryllium may lead to lung cancer.

Cadmium can increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Formaldehyde may cause cancer of the nose and pharynx. 

Radon might be responsible for one getting lung cancer.

How is cancer detected? 

Sometimes cancer is first detected when we notice something abnormal going on with our body.  We may realize that a mole we have had for years now has all the obvious signs of skin cancer. Your abdomen may become noticeably larger, yet your weight hasn’t changed. Or, while washing in the shower one day, you discover a palpable mass in your breast.

What could it be? 

A change in the appearance of a mole may be a sign of melanoma, or it may be related to hormones.

Rough, patchy skin may be skin cancer or the onset of eczema.

Bleeding when coughing might be lung cancer, or you could have pneumonia.

Bleeding when vomiting could be stomach cancer, or it could be a stomach ulcer.

Abnormal vaginal or post-menopausal bleeding may be signs of uterine cancer, or it may be a benign uterine polyp.

Blood in the urine could be bladder cancer or a severe bladder infection.

Unexplained bruising may be indicative of leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma, but it could also be due to certain medications such as aspirin or warfarin.

A breast lump may be cancer, or it could be a clogged milk duct or a cyst in the breast.

Abdominal bloating may be uterine cancer or possible gluten intolerance.

Night sweats could indicate leukemia or menopause.

Swelling in the scrotum may be testicular cancer, or possibly a hydrocele.

Hoarseness may be cancer, but it could be due to a benign vocal cord polyp.

So, how do you know for sure if you have cancer?

Testing

Sometimes cancer is found “accidentally”.

Routine screenings and potential cancers detected:

An eye examination may reveal a brain tumor.

A dental exam could expose oral cancer.

A pelvic exam could lead to the discovery of cervical cancer or HPV.

A mammogram could reveal breast cancer.

A prostate exam may be the first step in finding prostate cancer.

A skin check might lead to the diagnosis of skin cancer.

Targeted testing:

There are multitudes of tests that can be done to determine for sure if one has cancer. Some of these tests include:

Biopsy

Blood / lab work

Bronchoscopy

Chest x-ray

CT scan

Genetic markers

Laparoscopy

Laryngoscopy

Mediastinoscopy

MRI

PET scan

Thoracoscopy

Tumor markers

Ultrasound

Upper endoscopy

Is cancer contagious?

Cancer itself is not contagious, but certain viruses that may lead to cancer can be passed from one person to another. One example of this is the human papillomavirus. Cancers caused by HPV include cervical, vulvar, and vaginal; cancer of the penis, anus, cancer of the back of the throat; cancer at the base of the tongue, and the tonsils.

How does cancer make you feel? 

Just as there is not just one kind of cancer, there is not just one reaction to cancer. Here are some potential reactions to cancer:

Physically:

Bloated 

Fatigued

Loss of appetite 

Nauseated 

Pain 

Weakness

Emotionally: 

Afraid 

Agitated 

Angry 

Anxious 

Cranky 

Depressed 

Discouraged 

Edgy 

Exhausted 

Fearful

Helpless 

Isolated / lonely

Lethargic 

Numb 

Powerless 

Resigned 

Sad 

Self-conscious 

Shocked 

Uneasy 

Unsettled 

Upset 

Uptight 

Worried 

What challenges does cancer present? 

Health changes: 

Alteration body image 

Decrease in activity level 

Diarrhea or constipation 

Difficulty breathing 

Fatigue 

Hormonal changes due to chemo or other meds 

Infertility 

Nausea 

Pain 

Scarring from surgery 

Self-identity 

Weight loss or weight gain

Lifestyle / relationships: 

Family relationships can become strained, or relationships can become strengthened.

Friends / social relationships can also become strained, or relationships can become strengthened.

Financial: 

Possible decreased income due to missed work.

Increased expenses due to co-pays and out-of-pocket deductibles.

Cost to purchase medical supplies.

Travel costs for medical and surgical appointments. May have to travel to specialized treatments.

Childcare 

Schedule: 

Potential missed work due to treatment and follow-up appointments.

Family members may need to rearrange their schedules to help you get to the doctor, travel with you, watch your children and pets, etc. 

Multiple appointments for treatment, surgery, follow-up care, etc.

Conclusion

In conclusion, for some people, cancer is not just a diagnosis.

It is a disease caused by lifestyle, genetic, and/or environmental factors which may be found “accidentally”, or via diagnostic tests. Cancer can cause changes physically, emotionally, and financially.

No matter how you began your cancer journey, read the next blog post to continue the cancer conversation and learn what to do now that you have cancer.

Wishing you all the best,

Kelly

 Are your cancer screenings up to date?

Yes, I am a nurse. No, I am not your nurse. The medical topics discussed in this, or any article on this site, are intended to be issues for you to discuss with your medical team if you feel they apply to you. None of the information you are about to read in this article is treatment advice for you from me. I do not have that authority.