Information for New Cancer Patients

Salinas Valley Medical Clinic Cancer Care

There is one thing everyone knows about cancer: it’s dangerous. Aside from that, not many people know much about the disease unless it has personally affected them in some way. Learning more about cancer can be very comforting. When you are fighting an unknown enemy with a terrible reputation, it can seem like a hopeless endeavor, but the truth is that cancer death rates are on the decline. Here we provide information on what you’re really up against, and guidelines on how you and your doctor can fight it.

Defining Cancer

Cancer is a collective name for hundreds of types of diseases. Though all these affect the body in different ways, they share common characteristics that categorize them as cancer.

How cancer begins:

• Cells in your body are constantly reproducing and dying. For reasons that are not entirely clear, clusters of cells may develop abnormalities. These damaged cells sometimes live longer than they should and continue to produce deformed cells.
• Damaged cells continue to grow at a rapid rate, and, in many forms of cancer, will form a tumor. A tumor is a mass of tissue composed of deformed cells.
• Deformed cells and tumors start to see other cells as a threat, and invade other parts of the body to replace healthy cells with cancerous ones.
• To treat cancer, doctors employ various methods that destroy these cancer cells and stop them from spreading throughout the body.

What Caused It

We still do not have a definitive answer on what exactly causes cancer. What we do know is that your body is exposed to numerous chemicals and radiation on a daily basis, and after excessive exposure to the wrong substances, your cells can become damaged. Genetics also play a role in this process. Research has shown that if one of your parents had damaged cells, you have an increased chance of developing the same condition.

How to Stop It

Depending on your specific type of cancer, a doctor’s prescribed treatment will vary. One of the most important parts of cancer treatment is stopping it from spreading. Receiving a cancer diagnosis in its early stages improves your chances of containing it. Doctors often suggest surgically removing tumors and using medication to destroy lingering cancer cells to stop the disease it its early stages.

This can be a scary diagnosis, but stay positive. Cancer treatment has significantly improved in recent years. Studies have shown that patients who retain positive outlooks have a higher chance of beating the disease. Visit the Salinas Valley Medical Clinic, and let our medical professionals equip you with the tools to fight this disease.