Can there ever be a disease as deadly as this one????? Yeah, u’re right I am talking about Cancer…The number of victims for cancer is increasing at an alarming rate but we are unaware of this. This is the one of the most common cause of death.  So I felt it was the need of the hour to discuss some serious issues relating to cancer. Let me first elaborate on Breast Cancer. What is Breast Cancer? It is the malignant proliferation of epithelial cells that line the ducts or lobules of the breast. Breast cancer is a hormone-dependent disease. To be more specific women who don’t have functioning ovaries and those who never received estrogen replacement do not develop breast cancer.

This cancer can be categorized into four different types namely:

PATHOLOGY: The most common pathologic types of breast cancer are invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma. This can be further classified into various types based on the tumors.

GRADE OF TUMOR: A well-differentiated or a low grade tumor resembles a normal tissue. A poorly differentiated or a high grade tumor is composed of disorganized cells and finally. Moderately differentiated or the intermediate grade tumors are somewhere in between.

PROTEIN & GENE EXPRESSION STATUS: A patient suspected of Breast Cancer is usually tested for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu proteins the various results of these tests assists in predicting the tumor prognosis and helps the oncologist to choose the most appropriate treatment.

STAGE OF TUMOR: The current classification is based on the TNM (Tumor, Lymph Node and Metastases). The tumors are further classified into 5 types namely T1, T2, T3, T4, T5. The Lymph Node can be segregated into 4 types namely N0, N1, N2 and N3. The Metastases are termed M0 and M1.

There are several symptoms of Breast Cancer. A pain in the breast can be the early symptom of breast cancer. A lump under the arm or above the collarbone may also be present. Swelling, warmth, and redness throughout the breast are some of the other symptoms. Sometimes this can even extend to become an Metastatic disease (i.e.) it not only affects the breast but also the other organs. The appearance of a new breast symptom should be taken seriously by both patients and they should report to their doctors immediately, because of the possibility of an underlying breast cancer at almost any age.

Some of the precautions are Plant estrogen intake, such as from Soya products, in early adolescence may protect against breast cancer later in life. Avoid Smoking and drinking as this could save you from the wrath of the disease.

Let’s move on to Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This has a lot of resemblances to breast cancer. This also can turn out to be a Metastasis disease. The primary lung cancers are the Carcinomas of the lung. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing with emission of blood and weight loss. Long exposure to Tobacco Smoke accounts for 90% of people who suffer from Lung Cancer.

This can be classified into the following types

v     Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC)

v      Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC)

v      Metastatic cancers           

v     Staging

The treatment of lung Cancer include Common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Let us end our discussion with Melanoma Cancer .

Melanoma  is a cancer that begins in the melanocytes that are responsible for the color of the skin. Melanoma usually appears on the trunk of fair-skinned men and on the lower legs of fair-skinned women.

Melanoma cancer can be prevented by the following means:

v     Limited  Exposure to UV light

v     Use Sunscreen

v     Wear Sunglasses and always Avoid Other Sources of UV Light

v     Check for Abnormal Moles and Have Them Removed.

I am sure if we abide by the rules and follow our norms and texts we would surely eradicate cancer in the near future.