What is cancer?

This is a series of articles about cancer. There are different types of cancer and therefore has no specific definition what a cancer is.

All types of cancer are curable if detected at the earliest stage. It can only be fatal if neglected or detected at later stages, i.e. Stage 3 or Stage 4. A cancer is categorized to be on Stage 3 if it is large enough and may have started to spread into sorrounding tissues and there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes in the area. It is on Stage 4 if it's already started to another body organ. This is also called secondary or metastatic cancer. In medical terminology, cancer is known as "malignant neoplasm", a kind of disease in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth, that once "fully-grown", intrude upon and destroy adjucent cells and tissues.

According to WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer, among the most common types of cancer in women are breast cancer, cervix uteri cancer, colorectum cancer and lung cancer. Breast cancer comprises 22.9% of all non-melanoma cancers in women. In 2008, breast cancer caused 458,503 deaths worldwide (13.7% of cancer deaths in women). Cervix uteri cancer comprised 8.77% or 275,008 deaths; colorectum was 9.45% or 288,654 deaths; and lung cancer was 8.54% or 427,586 deaths. Breast cancer is more than 100 times more common in women than breast cancer in men. Men are 16% more likely to develop cancer and 40% more likely to die from cancer than women, newspapers have reported. The BBC said, “there is no known biological reason for this but it may be because women take better care of themselves.” The Daily Mail reports a cancer expert as saying there is a divide because “the NHS prefers saving women”.

Some Factors to Consider in Breast Cancer:

Being overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, especially for women after change of life or if the weight gain took place during adulthood. The risk seems to be higher if the extra fat is around the waist.

Lack of exercise. Studies show that exercise reduces breast cancer risk. The only question is how much exercise is needed. One study found that as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2½ hours of brisk walking per week reduced the risk by 18%. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more. The American Cancer Society suggests that you exercise for 45 to 60 minutes 5 or more days a week.

Not breast-feeding. Some studies have shown that breast-feeding slightly lowers breast cancer risk, especially if the breast-feeding lasts 1½ to 2 years. This could be because breast-feeding lowers a woman's total number of menstrual periods, as does pregnancy. But this has been a hard area to study. In countries such as the United States, breast-feeding for this long is uncommon.

Most common in women. Breast cancer occurs in women in many reasons but the most common cause is related to child bearing. Women who have had not had children, or who had their first child after age 30, have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.Being pregnant many times and at an early age reduces breast cancer risk. Being pregnant lowers a woman's total number of lifetime menstrual cycles, which may be the reason for this effect.