Old Problems Cancer and its Development Ever since cancer was first diagnosed in the 18th century, it became one of the most pressing medical issues, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Since then, cancer has developed and become more prominent in more people. Today, cancer is the number two cause of death in the United States. According to the Worldwide Cancer Research (WCR), most living animals have the potential to develop cancerous cells that could form tumors and become life threatening. The human body is made up of 37.2 trillion cells, and any single one of those cells could become cancerous if its division While breast cancer is process is the most widespread impacted. form of cancer for males In order and females, lung and to exist, all bronchus cancer is the cells need most lethal type for both to be able sexes combined. to divide and create new copies of themselves. If the process of cell division is not impacted, cells divide normally and the old ones die off. When cells become cancerous, their rate of division rapidly increases and causes the creation of too many copies of those cells. “Cancer is so dangerous because it affects everyone,” said Sara Shayesteh,
a biology teacher. “It’s a DNA mutation that no one is truly protected against. Cancer cells will spread and form tumors that often grow so rapidly that they put people in fatal danger.” All types of cancer affect certain body cells that begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues. For that reason alone, any kind of cancer could become life threatening, as it would spread and affect cells through the body and create more mutations. The spread of cancerous cells into another region of the body is best know as metastasis. Metastatic growth poses the most threat to the human body as it spreads the mutated cells into another region, which causes the development and strengthening of the disease. Some of the later stages of cancer, when metastatic growth process becomes too prominent, can no longer be treated as cancer has affected too many regions of the body. “Cancer is one of the largest research areas in modern medicine because it’s such a common illness,” Shayesteh said. “We do not know what exactly causes cancer, but the most recent research has proven that certain types of drugs and rays can cause the process of cell division to become more rapid.” Even though cancerous cells are almost always present in the human
body, their numbers are so insignificant that they do not possess any danger. However, when the number of cancerous cells expands, they create tumors that could be dangerous and potentially deadly. Although it is unknown exactly why cells become cancerous, some factors can make people more prone to developing certain types of cancer. Some of the most common perceived dangers include tobacco, alcohol, UV and sunlight rays, as well as some of the environmental factors such as certain types of metal and plastic. Although scientists have been trying to find treatment for cancer ever since it was first diagnosed, a universal method for treating the disease is yet to be discovered. According to the NCI, the most common modern cancer treatments are invasive. The treatments usually consist of surgery and chemotherapy. However, different types of cancer often require different types of treatments which might include radiation therapy or immunotherapy. These excessive treatments often cause a number of side effects that can seriously undermine one’s health.
According to the American Cancer Society, there will be approximately 607 thousand cancer deaths out of 1.8 million new cases in 2019.
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