| Cancer information for laymen | | | | grow, they will spread into the lymph nodes in the |
| 28th February 2007 | | | | body. Doctors called this regional spread. If there |
| Author: DR SOON | | | | is further spread beyond the lymph nodes to |
| Cancer has been a taboo in human society. | | | | other organs, doctors refer to this as distant |
| Cancer often causes fear and hopelessness. This | | | | metastasis. This degree of spread is known as |
| explains why faith healing is so much in demand | | | | staging. This is important for doctors to plan |
| by cancer patients. Cancer is not a single disease. | | | | treatment. |
| It is a clinical syndrome referring to group of | | | | Investigation are also important to find out |
| diseases which have different causes. As such, | | | | whether the cancer has spread to other parts of |
| one person's cancer cannot be compared with | | | | the body. Treatment will then be tailored to the |
| another. | | | | clinical stage of the disease process. A diagnosis |
| Our bodies are made up of hundreds of different | | | | of cancer are very often confirmed by biopsy. |
| types of cells. Any of these cells theoretically | | | | Blood tests will provide more information to |
| may become abnormal, leading to various types | | | | doctors. Other tools that doctors use are |
| of cancer. The cause of cancer is complex. The | | | | ultrasounds, x-rays, CT scans, Magnetic |
| cancer disease process occurs when some of our | | | | Resonance Imaging and Positron Emission |
| body cells start to behave in an uncontrolled way | | | | Tomography. |
| destroying our own body tissues. | | | | If you have questions related to this article you |
| In the early stages, cancerous growths usually | | | | may e-mail me at quoting the contents of the |
| remain in the organ where the cancer started. | | | | article. Alternatively, you may post your question |
| Doctors called this 'localized disease'. As the cancer | | | | on the bulletin board. |