carcinoma (cancer)

The text is presented for informational purposes only. We urge you not to self-medicate. When the first symptoms appear, consult a doctor. Recommended reading: “Why not self-medicate?”. Carcinomas are tumors that develop from the mucous membranes and epithelial tissues that line most organs. The name of this type of neoplasm was given by Hippocrates. He noticed that the characteristic seals resemble arthropods, and called them “cancer”, which in Latin corresponds to the word “cancer”. Therefore, carcinoma and cancer are synonymous. What are these diseases? What types of cancer are there and what causes it?

Carcinoma and its varieties

Carcinoma is a disease characterized by the appearance of constantly dividing cells capable of growing into adjacent tissues and metastasizing (spread to distant organs). The disease occurs as a result of genetic abnormalities and is manifested by a violation of proliferation (reproduction) and differentiation of cells.

Cancer cells arise as a result of the degeneration of healthy cells. They begin to divide uncontrollably and lose their ability to apoptosis (death). Such a change may be caused by one or more mutations that cause a malfunction in the normal mechanism of cell division. If the human immune system does not recognize such a transformation in time, cancer cells form a tumor, which can grow in size over time and spread to other parts of the body and organs. Tumor foci can be localized absolutely anywhere in our body.

As a result of uncontrolled cell reproduction, benign tumors can also form. Their main difference from a malignant neoplasm is that they do not pose a threat to human life. They grow slowly and do not metastasize; they can compress surrounding tissues, but do not grow into them. However, over time, some of them can become cancerous.

Given the type of epithelium in which the cancerous process originated, there are:

• squamous cell carcinoma – a malignant neoplasm that develops from squamous cells of the skin and mucous membranes;
• adenocarcinoma – a type of malignant tumor that is formed from cells of the glandular epithelium;
• mixed type of tumor (dimorphic cancer). It consists of two types of epithelium – flat and cylindrical.

Carcinomas can have various degrees of differentiation. Also, this measure of evaluation is called the histological grade of malignancy (Grade, G). They are classified like this:

• GX – the degree of differentiation cannot be determined;
• G1 – highly differentiated tumor;
• G2, moderately differentiated tumor;
• G3 – poorly differentiated tumor;
• G4 – undifferentiated tumor.

A high degree of differentiation indicates that atypical cells are outwardly similar to healthy cells of the organ and grow slowly, have a low chance of spreading. In poorly differentiated tumors, the cells look abnormal, their number is rapidly increasing and the probability of spread is high.

Causes of diseases

There are many causes of cancerous tumors, they are not fully understood. However, there are a number of risk factors that significantly increase the likelihood of getting cancer:

• genetic predisposition;
• factors of a chemical nature – exposure to toxic and carcinogenic substances found in the surrounding world;
• factors of physical nature – these include ionizing and ultraviolet radiation;
• biological factors – infection with viruses, for example, hepatitis B virus or human papillomavirus;
• hormonal factors – a violation of the hormonal balance in the human body.

The main signs of diseases

Depending on where the tumor process is localized, as the cancer progresses, the patient may experience different symptoms of the pathology. It should be noted that many types of cancer in the early stages are asymptomatic. A person may have a widespread tumor process, but not feel any of its manifestations. In general, there are two groups of signs of cancer.

In the first group, a syndrome of small signs can be distinguished. These are general clinical symptoms, which individually mean nothing. Many of them are manifested in diseases that are not related to cancerous pathologies. Rather, they indicate the problem as a whole. Such manifestations include unreasonable weakness, sudden weight loss, fatigue and lack of appetite (or aversion to certain foods, which is inherent in cancer).

The second category includes symptoms that act as signals of a disease in a particular organ. For example, a headache is often the only symptom of brain cancer. It is worth paying attention to this symptom if the pain is unusual for you in nature and localization. In addition, numbness of the limbs, impaired coordination and speech may also indicate brain cancer.

The sensation of a lump in the throat that makes it difficult to swallow can be a sign of the development of a tumor in the larynx. Another symptom is a voice disorder. Pain and discomfort during the passage of food is a dangerous sign that may indicate esophageal cancer. Bloating and disturbed stools can signal a tumor in the intestines. Depending on the site of the lesion, accompanying symptoms are a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen and the appearance of blood in the stool.

Lung cancer is manifested by chronic cough. Its danger is that at first it can be manifested by an unobtrusive cough, and they quickly get used to it, stop noticing it. With a widespread tumor process, coughing is replaced by painful bouts of coughing and is accompanied by hemoptysis. It is worth paying attention to the skin and mucous membranes. If they turn yellowish, this may be a sign of a tumor in the liver, pancreas, or bile ducts.

Pain in the back and lower back is not always the result of a cold or outdoor activities, they can be triggered by a tumor in the spine or kidneys.

If you have noted any of the signs in yourself, do not immediately be scared. The presence of certain symptoms is not necessarily a sign of a malignant process in the body, but should be a good reason for contacting a specialist.

Course of the disease

Like many malignant tumors, carcinoma develops in several stages:

• zero stage. It is characterized by the localization of cancer cells where they originated. Doctors also call this stage “in situ”;
• the first stage is called early, and the cancer itself is called localized. Usually it is a tumor of small size, which is located within the same organ;
• the second stage is characterized by a large tumor size (in comparison with the formation in the first stage). It does not touch neighboring tissues, but takes root deep into the organ. In some cases, it affects the lymph nodes;
• third stage. The tumor at this stage grows beyond one organ and damages the regional lymph nodes;
• fourth stage. It is characterized by the spread of atypical cells to other organs and parts of the body. Such cancer is called progressive or metastatic.

Cancer diagnostics

The surest way to stay healthy and not miss cancer is to constantly self-diagnose and regularly, once a year, undergo scheduled examinations. For example, as part of the medical examination, the necessary basic studies are carried out: general blood and urine tests, fluorography or chest X-ray, ultrasound of the abdominal organs. Men are recommended to visit a urologist, and women – a gynecologist, additionally do an ultrasound of the pelvic organs and undergo a breast examination.

An unscheduled examination is necessary if you have complaints about your health, suspicious symptoms appear. Diagnostics in this case is aimed at finding their causes. Here the sequence of actions is the same as during the planned inspection. You should contact a therapist who will collect an anamnesis and give directions to narrow specialists, prescribe the necessary diagnostics. So, for example, during a preventive examination, there is no point in conducting computed and magnetic resonance imaging (CT and MRI). They are shown only to clarify the diagnosis. This is due to the fact that CT uses a contrast agent, which allows you to identify the contours of the neoplasm. To get a reliable diagnosis, you should know which substance and by what method to use.

Cancer alertness is a sure way to early diagnosis of cancer and a high chance of curing pathologies. The inspection program is always compiled individually, taking into account the characteristics of the person. Diagnosis of oncological diseases allows you to accurately and quickly determine the pathology, to draw up effective tactics of therapy.

Treatment of the disease

The classic triad of cancer treatment is surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Science does not stand still, and there are new methods to fight cancer.

An oncologist develops an individual program to combat the oncological process, based on the type, location, stage of the tumor, and the patient’s health status. None of the methods is universal, each direction has its own advantages and disadvantages, therefore, a combined approach is always used, a combination of several methods.

Surgical treatment is an operation in which the surgeon removes tumor tissue. Surgery successfully treats the malignant type of carcinoma when the procedure is carried out at the initial stage.

Chemotherapy treatment is directed against the rapid division of cells and contributes to their weakening with the help of toxic substances. Chemotherapy is used to shrink the tumor before surgery or radiation therapy. It is also used to destroy cancer cells remaining in the patient’s body after surgery or to relieve pain caused by a tumor.

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation, which, like chemotherapy drugs, destroys rapidly dividing cells. It can be used both to destroy the tumor and to relieve pain and other symptoms.

Among the new directions in the treatment of cancer are:

• hormone therapy. Rarely used alone, it complements other treatments and is indicated for hormone-sensitive tumors. For example, breast cancer uses hormones to survive and grow. This therapy may be aimed at reducing hormone levels or the cancer’s ability to use hormones, that is, depriving cancer cells of “feeding”;
• immunotherapy is used to enhance the protection of the immune response to the tumor. Some groups of drugs are used to “mark” cancer cells, then the immune system recognizes them and attacks. Other drugs target the defense system itself, activating the immune system and making it work against cancer cells;
• Targeted therapy is used as a type of drug treatment for cancer. The action of the substances used in this therapy is not directed at all dividing cells, but at certain “targets” in tumor cells. Thus, the drugs block the molecular signaling pathways that are responsible for the growth and spread of abnormal cells.

Cancer Prevention Measures

Prevention is the future of medicine. Mankind has learned to prevent dangerous diseases through vaccination. Unfortunately, this has not been achieved with cancer cells, since there is a completely different, more complex developmental mechanism that requires innovations in genetic engineering. However, common sense is the best defense against cancer. According to a study published in the journal Nature ^[1], genetics and other causes beyond our control are to blame for only 30% of cancer cases, the remaining 70% we can prevent.

Lung cancer is more likely to be caused by smoking, dietary habits can affect rectal cancer, and skin cancer in most cases is triggered by prolonged exposure to sunlight. You can reduce the incidence by adhering to simple rules.

First, give up bad habits. Eliminating tobacco and alcohol from daily life is the best prevention. Secondly, control body weight. And it’s not about centimeters in the waist. Adipose tissue provides transportation of nutrients in the body. If more energy comes in than is expended, then fat accumulates in our body. In addition to energy, it produces proteins that can cause chronic inflammation. Tumor processes just occur against the background of inflammation. Thirdly, watch your diet and exercise at least half an hour a week. Nutrition and sports are the perfect tandem. Physical activity helps maintain normal weight and prevents the development of cancer. Remember that the best way to protect yourself from cancer is to monitor your lifestyle and visit your doctor every year.

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