THE REAL CANCER CHALLENGE by Gurumwal George Longjan

This involves actually enlightening people on what cancer is, symptoms of cancer, benefits of early detection, treatment options and finally how to contribute towards cancer research.

CANCER - are diseases caused by an uncontrolled division of cells in the body. It’s not just one disease, but a group of about 100 or more distinctive diseases which can start in the lungs, breast, colon, skin or even in the blood. Cancers are alike in some ways, but are different in how they grow and spread. Most cancers form a lump called a tumour but not all lumps are cancer. Lumps that are not cancerous are called benign while those that are cancerous are called malignant. There are some cancers, like leukaemia (cancer of the blood), that don’t form tumours. They grow in the blood cells or other cells of the body.

SYMPTOMS - Rapidly growing lump in any part of your body, especially the breast. Cough lasting more than three weeks. Sudden change in bowel habits. Unexplained blood in urine, stool, cough or vomit. Appearance of asymmetrical mole with irregular borders and jagged edges. Unexplained weight loss.

All these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, but better to consult a doctor to be on the safe side.

EARLY DETECTION - Cancer that is identified early, before it’s had the chance to grow or spread is more likely to be treated successfully. If the cancer has spread, treatment becomes more difficult, and generally a person’s chances of surviving are much lower.

TREATMENT OPTIONS - SURGERY is usually performed when cancer is found in only one part of the body. It involves cutting out the tumour from the body and may be used with other treatments. RADIATION THERAPY uses high-energy particles or waves to destroy or damage cancer cells. It might be used with other forms of treatment. CHEMOTHERAPY uses medicines or drugs to treat cancer. TARGETED THERAPY is a newer type of cancer treatment that uses drugs or other substances to more precisely identify and attack cancer cells, usually while doing little damage to normal cells. IMMUNOTHERAPY is a treatment that uses your body's own immune system to help fight cancer.

CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS CANCER RESEARCH - there are numerous cancer research organisations which strive to develop more effective treatments and possibly a cure for cancer. You can find their names on other internet and find out more about their activities. If you're interested in helping, you can sign up to make contributions to the establishment.

Most importantly, cancer is NOT contagious. A healthy person can not "catch" cancer from someone suffering from cancer. Respect people with cancer. They go through emotional, physical and financial challenges already. You can at least provide moral support in addition to any other form of assistance.

References:
Cancer.org
Cancerresearchuk.org
Cancer.gov

Thanks to the writer for this contribution.