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.