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Cancer is a malignant tumor that has mutated cells in its structure, due to which they begin to divide and multiply uncontrollably, and as a result, the tumor grows and affects the nearest tissues, and subsequently metastasizes and spreads through the blood to all parts of the body. Consider how the disease develops, diagnosis, symptoms, types and treatment of cancer, and much more.

What is cancer?

The branch of medicine that deals with the study of both malignant and benign cells is called oncology. Scientists and doctors in Lately found out that the direct cause of cancer is precisely the change in genes inside certain cells, but precisely in the code that is responsible for the division process. Therefore, diseased cells begin to act according to the wrong instructions and grow very quickly.

At the same time, the mutant cells themselves are slightly modified, they have a larger nucleus and a completely different behavior. Our immune system pays attention to this and tries to stop these revolutionary attempts. And if several such cells appeared in the body, they are destroyed. But the immune response does not always cope, especially in a weakened body with other diseases.

At the same time, when cells mutate, benign tumors can also occur - this does not mean that they are of any benefit to the body, but such neoplasms do not affect the nearest tissues and are not life-threatening. Unfortunately, but very often, such benign tumors develop into a malignant formation, which already has a dangerous behavior.

Doctors and scientists are looking for more and more new methods of treatment every year. But at the moment only a few are in use. Unfortunately, these methods do not give a 100% chance of recovery. And there is no clear weapon against cancer yet.

There are still many factors to take into account. First, at what stage the cancer was detected - the sooner the better. Secondly, how aggressive the tumor itself is and how quickly it grows and develops. Plus, doctors need to identify the neoplasm itself as soon as possible, find out its stage, size and depth of damage to nearby tissues. This way doctors will have a complete picture and will be able to create a strategy to fight the cancer enemy.

What does cancer look like? In general, it has different forms, which depend on the stage and the affected area.

What causes cancer?

Unfortunately, but no direct evidence of which factors influence the appearance of this disease has not yet been proven. And doctors and scientists have only some assumptions and reasons for the appearance of malignant cells.

  • Smoking gives a huge amount of chemicals that you breathe into yourself through the smoke. The substances themselves are mutagenic in nature and provide excellent ground for the development of the disease.
  • Alcohol, affects almost all organs. It is clear that it all depends on the amount and frequency of use.
  • Nutrition- food with a large amount of carcinogens, nitrates, food additives such as E121, E123, high-calorie food, makes it possible for unpleasant diseases to develop in your body, and they, in turn, can give green light cancer.
  • Radiation- each city has its own radiation background, and with a strong increase in the norm in such cities, cancer is much more common than in ordinary ones.
  • Ecology- in cities with poor ecology and settlements that are located near factories and factories - people get cancer more often.
  • Wrong course hormone therapy - can usually lead to cancer of the prostate, uterus, ovaries and breasts. Substances that directly affect the enlargement of these organs.
  • HIV- contributes to an increase in the number of viruses and bacteria that affect the body with a weakened immune system.

You can also divide all factors into internal (drugs, food, etc.) - 30% and external (environment, radiation, etc.) - 70% of all impacts on cancer. As you can see, external factors have a fairly high percentage.

Cancer growth factors include nutritional supplements: E12, E 510, E 513U. Almost all the products you buy in stores have these substances, so it's best to check what is used in this or that product before using it.

How do cancer cells appear in the body?

There are a huge number of cells in the body. Each cell has its own job and function. All cells work like clockwork - clearly and according to the chosen program. But other factors also affect the body: such as disease, chemicals, radiation, ultraviolet radiation, etc.

As a result, one cell, under the influence of unfavorable conditions, turns into a mutant, changes its internal form, DNA damage occurs and the program of actions by which the cell used to work changes.


Let's look at healthy cells, as we already said, they work according to a clear instruction that is written in DNA. Muscle tissue, red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells - all perform their function. The lifespan of a cell is written in DNA. For example, red blood cells deliver oxygen to the tissues of the body and live for 125 days, but platelets, which help clog various wounds, live only 4 days, and then die.

Let's look at all the stages in the life of a healthy cell:

  1. A cell is born and it is predetermined future life and work in the body.
  2. After that, she grows up a little and already begins to perform basic functions.
  3. Further, throughout the entire period of life, the cell itself works according to a certain scheme.
  4. Next comes cell aging and death.

If the cell starts to become dull and self-willed, then the body immediately stops this and destroys it. But it happens when the body is weakened and cannot react in time, these cells begin to grow and turn into tumors.

Is a benign tumor a cancer or not? No, it's not cancer yet. Typically, such cells are not aggressive and do not interfere with the work of the nearest organs and tissues. But this tumor can later turn into cancer.

What is the difference between them? A benign formation grows slowly, does not enter healthy tissues and does not destroy them, it is quite easy to remove it surgically.

Tumor stages

  1. Hyperplasia - when immature mutated cells begin to randomly divide.
  2. Initially, the cells themselves are benign in nature and do not harm health and nearby tissues. But after some time, the tumor passes into the stage of dysplasia.
  3. The cells themselves are fixed on the nearest tissues and pass into a new malignant phase - malignancy.
  4. Precancerous condition is not a large number of malignant cells that do not go beyond the boundaries of a particular tissue and can still be defeated by immunity.
  5. Invasive cancer - the tumor is already beginning to grow in the nearest tissues and grow rapidly, while the aggressiveness and growth rate increase.

Cancer stats.

Malignant neoplasms are mostly formed in elderly people after 50-60 years. Of course, this is also influenced by the rhythm of a person’s life and his state of health. The most common types of cancer:

  1. development of lung cancer.
  2. Mammary cancer.
  3. Colon cancer.
  4. Stomach cancer.
  5. Liver cancer.

Many ask - How many years does the patient live after diagnosis and what is the percentage of survival?

It all depends on which cancer itself was found on and what character it has - aggressive or not. The higher the stage of the cancer, the lower the survival rate.

  • 1 Stage 70-80%
  • Stage 2 60-75%
  • Stage 3 35%
  • Stage 4 5% that the patient will live to 5 years.

What causes a person to die with cancer? Basically, from a combination of factors, when the tumor grows so strongly that it interferes with the work of the organs.

Symptoms of a malignant tumor

You must understand that they themselves depend on the place of development of the tumor itself in the body, as well as on the stage itself. Often, at first, the beast does not show itself in any way and sits very quietly in its lair.

  • Unreasonable rise in temperature- there are no other symptoms, and medicines And antibiotics don't help.
  • Loss of appetite and weight- when the tumor begins to grow rapidly and consumes a large amount of energy. It also produces various waste products that poison the body.
  • Headache, nausea, vomiting (may be bloody)- the tumor poisons the body and intoxication increases.
  • yellow skin Jaundice may indicate damage by liver cancer cells.
  • Cough and shortness of breath- metastases reached the lungs and firmly settled there.
  • General weakness and fatigue Cancer consumes a lot of energy and strength.
  • Rashes on the skin and mucous membranes - often occurs with skin cancer and melanoma.

Types of cancer

Every year, scientists find more and more species and varieties. cancer cells. It is amazing that they can even adapt to the type of treatment and not respond to chemotherapy and radiation.

By type of fabric

By affected area

Name What does it look like
testicular cancer
Pancreas cancer
Liver cancer
Stomach cancer
colon cancer
Brain cancer
Cancer of the larynx
thyroid cancer
Skin cancer
bone cancer
Mammary cancer

Classifications and stages

Why is it important to determine the stage of cancer? This is necessary for the doctor to understand how large the tumor itself is, what organs and tissues it involves, as well as the nature of the disease itself and the growth rate. All this is necessary in order to roughly build a strategy and fight against the enemy, to understand how to act in order to get the maximum result.

Here's an example for you - a patient has bowel cancer, and this was indicated both by tests for tumor markers and by direct examination using a colonoscopy procedure. Now the doctor needs to know the stage of cancer, because if it is stage 1 or 2, then metastases have not yet begun and you can do the usual removal of the tumor. The doctor will simply remove part of the intestine and sew the healthy halves.

If this is stage 4, then metastases have already spread to many organs and removal of the tumor itself will not help, then the only solution will be to conduct chemotherapy and radiation to reduce the aggressiveness of the tumor growth rate.

TNM system

Physicians mainly use the TNM system. It allows you to more accurately identify and classify the tumor. Usually three letters and additional symbols are used to clarify the properties of cancer.

  • T- stage of the tumor
  • N- Spread to lymph nodes
  • M- Are there or not metastases, as well as which organs they affect.

Usually, when assessing metastases, the M field in brackets writes the name of the organ that was affected by the tumor. For example, M(PLE)- Metastases affect the pleura.

0 stage

A benign formation is formed with cells that divide and grow very quickly, but do not affect the functioning of the organ and do not harm nearby cells and tissues. Not every stage zero develops into cancer, but there is a chance.

1 stage

A benign formation develops into a malignant one and begins to actively develop. At the same time, the tumor itself does not go beyond the boundaries of the tissue itself and has clear boundaries.

2 stage

The tumor has already impressive dimensions and seals. Begins to germinate in the tissues of the body. Some oncological diseases already show some symptoms: pain, fever, etc.

3 stage

The tumor begins to touch the nearest lymph nodes and is already moving to neighboring organs. For example, with prostate cancer in a man, the cancer begins to affect bladder and testicles. Also, metastases usually spread to the rectum.

4 stage

The last stage of tumor development, when metastases already reach distant organs through the blood: lungs, liver, brain, etc. At the same time, the cancerous neoplasm itself begins to grow even faster and the aggressiveness increases greatly. Functions in the body and health are greatly reduced.


Cancer diagnosis

The problem of a cancerous tumor is that it is detected rather late due to the absence of the first signs. Then subsequently it is much more difficult for doctors to treat this disease, and the chance of recovery decreases.

First of all, the doctor needs to understand the size of the tumor, its germination in the nearest tissues, the stage and degree of aggressiveness. Usually a good doctor begins to suspect the disease already with any deviations in.

The doctor may prescribe an addition. A tumor marker is a waste product of the tumor itself. With an increase in these proteins, it is possible to determine which organ is sick. Each tumor, be it lung cancer or prostate cancer, releases its own markers. If the amount of any tumor marker exceeds allowable rate, further research is underway.


  1. At some stages, routine examination and palpation may reveal a tumor even in its early stages.
  2. MRI and CT - gives more information and you can see the tumor itself and size.
  3. Ultrasound - good way to diagnose a tumor, although at stages 0 and 1 it is quite difficult to see it in some organs.

Cancer treatment

The type and choice of treatment itself depends both on the location of the cancer itself and on the stage. So after a complete diagnosis, a competent oncologist begins to select the right tactics to fight evil.

Surgery

Everything is quite simple here, doctors in the first stages simply remove part of the organ with the tumor, as well as the tissues closest to it. If there is a suspicion of damage to the entire organ, all tissues can be removed.

Chemotherapy

Chemicals are injected into the human body that try to act only on diseased cancer cells. At the same time, the impact is mainly at the DNA level, so that the cells stop dividing, grow old and die. But there is a downside in that the reagents themselves also affect healthy cells, which is why this method of therapy has many side effects.

Irradiation

The advantage of radiotherapy is that the nearest healthy cells suffer much less, which is why the effect itself falls on the cancerous tissues themselves. Recently, point irradiation has begun to be used, when they try to influence only the diseased area with a small beam, while reducing the irradiation of healthy tissues.

Photodynamic therapy

There are drugs that are injected into the human body, and then they affect it with light fluxes, and cancer cells are destroyed. Mainly used: Alasens, Radachlorin and Photohem.

Immunotherapy

The immune system is one of the first weapons against cancer cells, it is he who first notices suspicious tissue and destroys them. Usually this therapy begins with strengthening the immune system of the patient. After that, the protective human cells themselves begin to attack the cancer.

NOTE! Cancer is a disease that is very dangerous for human life and if it is not treated in a timely manner, then everything can end.

What to eat with cancer?

Nutrition is one of the most important components of proper treatment, since a properly selected diet will help not only improve immunity itself, but also improve the patient's condition, reduce side effects from drugs and improve tissue regeneration after surgery.


Consider foods that contain the right substances and enzymes to fight cancer.

  • Dulce, Kombu, Wakame, chlorella, spirulina.
  • Green tea
  • Chinese mushrooms - reishi, maitake, shiitake, cordyceps
  • Walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
  • Lentils, peas, soybeans, asparagus, chickpeas.
  • Berries - cherries, cranberries, blackberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, currants, strawberries, mulberries, strawberries.
  • Honey, royal jelly, pollen, perga, propolis
  • White cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnip, radish, kohlrabi.
  • Lemon, tomatoes, pumpkin, beets, tangerines, apples, peaches, plums, grapefruit, carrots.
  • Mustard, wheat germ, parsnip, cumin, lettuce, parsley, celery, spinach, garlic, alfalfa, onion.

What is forbidden to eat and drink with cancer?

  • Alcohol
  • Meat, poultry, fish
  • Margarine
  • Sugar
  • Vinegar
  • Mayonnaise
  • processed cheese
  • Juices in packages
  • frozen foods
  • carbonated sweet water
  • Semi-finished products
  • Salt and salty foods
  • Fast food

Rehabilitation of the patient

The most important thing after treatment and therapy is to restore the overall tone of the body itself. Usually, after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, the body is greatly weakened. Therefore, the most important thing is to first restore the former immunity, as well as bring all the functions of the organs back to normal.

A malignant tumor is an autonomous pathological progressive process that is not provided for by the plan of the structure and functioning of the body and is an uncontrolled reproduction of cells that are distinguished by the ability to colonize surrounding tissues and metastasize.

The process of development of a malignant tumor

A malignant neoplasm is characterized by atypism, that is, the loss of the characteristics of normal tissues. Atypism is noted at various levels: biochemical (altered metabolic processes), antigenic (a peculiar set of antigens that are not characteristic of normal cells and tissues), morphological (characteristic structure), etc.

The very definition of a malignant tumor contains the idea of ​​a significant (sometimes fatal) harm to the human body. The term "cancer" for the designation of a malignant tumor was first used by Hippocrates (ancient Greek καρκίνος - "crab", "cancer") because of the outward similarity of a growing neoplasm with a cancer that has spread its claws. He also described the first tumors and made an assumption about the need for their complete removal if access was available.

Every year in the world, malignant neoplasms are diagnosed in more than 10 million people; in the structure of mortality, these diseases are in second place after cardiovascular pathology. The most common form of malignant tumors is lung cancer, followed by breast cancer.

The most unfavorable prognostically are lung cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, more "favorable" - cancer in situ.

In Russia, the annual incidence is approximately 500 thousand people, about 3 million patients (approximately 2% of the population) are registered for malignant neoplasms. In recent decades, there has been a clear upward trend in the number of oncological diseases.

Causes and risk factors

There are several theories regarding the causes and mechanisms of development of malignant tumors:

  • physical and chemical (Virchow's theory);
  • dysontogenetic (Kongeym);
  • viral genetic (Zilber);
  • immunological (Burnet);
  • polyetiological (Petrova).

The physicochemical theory explains the development of malignant tumors as a result of exposure to the body of various exogenous and endogenous carcinogens, systematic trauma. Aggressive chemicals, ionizing radiation, some products of their own metabolism (metabolites of tryptophan and tyrosine), ultraviolet radiation, tobacco smoke components, aflatoxins, etc. have the highest carcinogenic activity. Exposure of these substances to a cell in certain doses leads to damage to its genetic apparatus and malignant transformation. Perhaps the development of malignant tumors in places of constant friction, habitual trauma.

The dysontogenetic model of the development of malignant tumors (the theory of germinal rudiments) was first proposed by Yu. F. Kongeim. It implies the occurrence of cellular and tissue malformations in the embryonic period, which subsequently leads to the active reproduction of atypical cells that form tumors. According to this theory, during embryogenesis, in some parts of the body, an excess number of cells is formed, which are “unnecessarily” in an inactive state. Latent cell formations have a significant growth potential inherent in embryonic tissues, which explains the active malignant growth in a situation of accidental activation of dormant structures.

Virus-genetic theory assigns a dominant role in the development of tumors to the impact of oncogenic viruses, which include, for example, herpes viruses (including Epstein-Barr), papillomaviruses, hepatitis viruses, human immunodeficiency, T-cell leukemia virus, etc. particles inside a normal cell is the union of their genetic apparatus. The host cell begins to function as an assembler of the components of the virus, producing the elements necessary for its vital activity. At this moment, a malignant degeneration of normal cells of the body often occurs, uncontrolled cell proliferation starts; the presence of the virus ceases to play a decisive role in carcinogenesis, and the process becomes irreversible.

Burnet's immunological theory provocateur of the formation of malignant tumors calls the failure of the functioning of the immune system (damage to immunological surveillance), in which it loses the ability to recognize and destroy altered atypical cells, which leads to their rapid uncontrolled growth.

A polyetiological approach to explaining the development of malignant tumors involves a combined effect on the normal structures of the body of many provoking factors, which leads to their damage and further degeneration.

As a result of provoking influences, the natural system of anti-cancer protection develops, the functioning of which is ensured by the following components:

  • anti-carcinogenic mechanism responsible for the neutralization of potentially dangerous agents;
  • anti-transformation mechanism that prevents malignant degeneration of normal cells and tissues;
  • anticellular mechanism, which consists in the timely removal of malignant cells and normal cells of the body that have undergone malignancy.

As a result of damage to the antitumor defense system or excessive exposure to provoking factors, malignant neoplasms are formed.

Forms of the disease

Depending on the tissues from which the tumor originates, the following forms of malignant neoplasms are distinguished:

  • epithelial organ-nonspecific (in places of atypical localization of epithelial tissue);
  • epithelial organ-specific (exo- and endocrine glands, integuments of the body);
  • mesenchymal;
  • melanin-forming tissue;
  • nervous system and membranes of the brain and spinal cord;
  • hematopoietic and lymphatic tissues (hemoblastosis);
  • formed from embryonic tissues.
Malignant neoplasms have multiple effects on the body - both local and systemic.

Types of tumors in accordance with the types of initial cells:

  • carcinoma (actual cancer) - epitheliocytes;
  • melanoma - melanocytes;
  • sarcoma - connective tissue cells;
  • leukemia - blood-forming cells of the bone marrow;
  • lymphoma - lymphatic cells;
  • teratoma - gonocytes;
  • glioma - neuroglial cells;
  • choriocarcinoma - trophoblast cells.

The types of cancer itself (carcinoma) are distinguished depending on the type of epithelial tissue from which it originates, and the structural features:

  • squamous (without keratinization, with keratinization);
  • adenocarcinoma;
  • cancer in situ (in situ);
  • solid (trabecular);
  • fibrous;
  • medullary;
  • slimy;
  • small cell.

According to morphological features:

  • differentiated cancer (slowly progressive, metastasis develops slowly);
  • undifferentiated (rapidly evolves, gives widespread metastases).

By the number of pathological foci, neoplasms can be uni- and multicentric (one or more primary foci, respectively).

Depending on the characteristics of growth in the lumen of organs, malignant tumors are:

  • expansive (exophytic growth), when the neoplasm grows into the lumen of the organ;
  • infiltrating (endophytic growth) - in this case, the tumor grows into the wall of the organ or surrounding tissues.

Degrees

In accordance with the degree of prevalence of the process, the presence or absence of metastases, the involvement of lymph nodes, malignant neoplasms are classified according to the TNM system (tumor - "tumor", nodulus - "nodes", metastasis - "metastases").

The degree of development of the main focus is designated as T (tumor) with the corresponding index:

  • T is or T 0 - the so-called cancer in situ (cancer in situ), when the altered cells are located intraepithelially, without growing into the underlying tissues;
  • T 1-4 - the degree of development of a malignant tumor, from minimally expressed (T 1) to maximum (T 4), respectively.

Involvement in the pathological process of regional lymph nodes (local metastasis) is designated as N (nodulus):

  • N x - examination of nearby lymph nodes was not performed;
  • N 0 - when examining regional lymph nodes, no changes were detected;
  • N 1 - during the study, metastasis to nearby lymph nodes was confirmed.

The presence of metastases - M (metastasis) - indicates the involvement of other organs, damage to nearby tissues and distant lymph nodes:

  • М x – detection of distant metastases was not carried out;
  • M 0 - distant metastases were not detected;
  • M 1 - confirmed distant metastasis.

Symptoms

Malignant neoplasms have multiple effects on the body - both local and systemic. Local negative consequences are the compression of adjacent tissue structures, vascular and nerve trunks, lymph nodes by a growing tumor. Systemic effects are manifested by general intoxication with decay products, depletion of the body's resources up to cachexia, and violation of all types of metabolism.

Local signs, often indicative of the presence of a malignant tumor, are diverse and vary depending on the organ concerned:

  • unusual asymmetrical swelling, induration;
  • bleeding;
  • cough;
  • hemoptysis;
  • dyspeptic disorders;
  • hoarseness of voice;
  • systematic pain;
  • spontaneous increase in the size and color of moles, birthmarks; etc.

General non-specific signs:

  • severe depression or complete loss of appetite;
  • progressive decrease in body weight with an unchanged nutritional stereotype;
  • intolerance to meat food, taste perversion;
  • asthenization;
  • violations of the "sleep-wakefulness" mode (drowsiness during the day, insomnia at night);
  • decrease in working capacity;
  • sweating;
  • intolerance to habitual physical activity; and etc.

Diagnostics

For the diagnosis of malignant tumors and the detection of local and distant metastasis, the entire range of research methods is used, depending on the proposed localization of the neoplasm ( lab tests, radiographic and ultrasound examinations, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopic methods, etc.).

The final diagnosis is established after a biopsy - sampling of cells or tissue fragments - followed by histological or cytological examination received material. The presence of atypical cells in the test sample indicates a malignant process.

Every year in the world, malignant neoplasms are diagnosed in more than 10 million people; in the structure of mortality, these diseases are in second place after cardiovascular pathology.

Treatment

The tactics of treating a malignant tumor is determined depending on its location, size, degree of malignancy, presence of metastases, involvement of other organs and tissues, and other criteria.

Conservative methods of therapy:

  • chemotherapeutic effect (drug suppression of uncontrolled reproduction of malignant cells or their direct destruction, destruction of micrometastases);
  • immunostimulation;
  • radiotherapy (exposure to the tumor with x-rays and γ-rays);
  • cryotherapy (influence on atypical cells by low temperatures);
  • photodynamic therapy;
  • experimental methods of influence, for the evaluation of which a sufficient evidence base has not been collected.

In some cases, in addition to these methods of exposure, surgical excision of a malignant tumor with nearby tissues, lymph nodes, and surgical removal of distant metastases are indicated.

If the patient is in the terminal stage of the disease, the so-called palliative treatment is prescribed - therapy aimed at reducing the suffering of an incurable patient (for example, narcotic analgesics, sleeping pills).

Possible complications and consequences

Complications of malignant tumors can be:

  • bleeding;
  • sprouting into neighboring organs with their damage;
  • uncontrolled rapid progression;
  • metastasis;
  • recurrence;
  • death.

Forecast

The prognosis for patients who are carriers of malignant tumors depends on many factors:

  • localization of the pathological process;
  • patient's age;
  • stages;
  • the presence of metastases;
  • structures and forms of tumor growth;
  • scope and method of surgery.
In recent decades, there has been a clear upward trend in the number of oncological diseases.

Five-year survival for patients with a particular type of disease is purely individual and usually varies from 90 to 10%, depending on these factors. The most unfavorable prognostically are lung cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, more "favorable" - cancer in situ. Undifferentiated cancer is more aggressive, prone to active metastasis (compared to differentiated).

Prevention

Preventive measures are as follows:

  1. Eliminate or minimize exposure to carcinogens.
  2. Periodic preventive examinations with the identification of tumor markers.
  3. Lifestyle modification.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

A cancerous tumor is an uncontrolled growth of tissue under the influence of external factors that adversely affect the DNA of cells and cause gene mutations. As a result of pathological changes in the DNA structure of cells, cancerous tissue grows in the body, forming a malignant tumor. can be stopped both surgically and by other methods associated with both irradiation of the tumor and with the help of medications.

Features of the development of tumors

In essence, tumors are benign and malignant.

A benign tumor is the multiplication of cells of one tissue, within which the tumor grows. A benign tumor grows slowly only within one focus, squeezing and constraining the healthy tissue of the damaged organ. Outwardly, the tumor differs little from healthy cells, does not metastasize, which means that after its removal (by surgical intervention), the patient can get on his feet in a few days. The chance of recurrence is minimal.

A malignant tumor (cancer) grows very quickly, penetrating into the tissues adjacent to the focus, damaging their structure. It can spread throughout the body through the blood and lymphatic vessels, which is why its surgical removal does not guarantee a complete recovery, since tumors can again manifest themselves in a new focus.

Stages of tumor development

It is known that in the human body there are millions of cells with genetically modified DNA, but the immune system and other defense mechanisms prevent the development of cancer cells. Cancer development begins with the fact that under the influence of one or two external factors, the immune system ceases to restrain the cell's mutation, and it begins to grow and divide. The following stages of tumor development can be distinguished:

  • Initiation:

Influenced environment there is a change in the genome of the cell. It is almost impossible to identify this stage to start timely treatment.

  • Promotion:

At this stage, there is an increase in the number of mutating cells with a modified genome. This stage can be called precancerous, since the reaction of the change in the genome is reversible. It is possible to identify such changes in the tissue of the affected organ with a regular thorough preventive examination.

  • Progression:

The stage is characterized by the active growth of cells with a modified gene, in the aggregate, and which are a tumor in the sense that is used in diagnosis.

  • Metastasis:

The process of tumor development in neighboring tissues and organs. Removing the focus of a cancerous tumor does not guarantee the patient a complete recovery. Clinical studies have shown that at the time of surgery it is not always possible to determine whether the process of metastasis has begun. Therefore, cancer patients at this stage need not only anti-cancer therapy, but also a constant medical examination at least once every three months for 2-3 years.

Causes of tumor development

The causes of tumor development are very diverse. Conventionally, risk factors for developing a tumor can be divided into three groups:

  1. Physical (ultraviolet, radiation).
  2. Chemical (effect on tissue cells various kinds carcinogens).
  3. Biological (mutation of cells under the influence of viruses).

Among the most common risk factors for developing a malignant tumor are the following:

  • Smoking. In 30% of cases of cancer, it is the influence of tobacco that causes a tumor of the respiratory system - from and to.
  • Wrong nutrition. An equally common cause of mutations at the genetic level. Improper nutrition, the use of products containing carcinogenic substances that can affect the structure of DNA, can become a trigger, triggering the mechanism of tumor development.
  • Heredity. Predisposition to cancer can be transmitted at the genetic level.
  • Ultraviolet, polluted atmosphere, sedentary image life - only in 5% of cases can be factors.
  • Various viruses and .

As you can see, the main reason why tumor development, is the wrong way of life. Under the influence of air poisoning substances, as well as when using chemically grown products in the diet, using alcohol and tobacco, cells prone to mutation begin to multiply, and a weakened immune system is unable to stop this process.

Cancer is not a death sentence. In order to avoid it, it is necessary to minimize the influence of risk factors, as well as periodically undergo a medical examination.

Cancer is a general term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Terms such as malignant tumors and neoplasms are also used. characteristic feature cancer is the rapid formation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their normal boundaries and are able to invade nearby parts of the body and spread to other organs. This process is called metastasis. Metastases are the leading cause of death from cancer.

Cancer is a difficult spiritual test for us. First we turn to official medicine, then we often try folk methods treatment, we ask for a miracle of healing from the saints (especially often from the holy healer Panteleimon and mother Matrona of Moscow) ... In case of failure, sometimes we become discouraged. The science of cancer is called oncology.

Oncology (onco- + Greek logos doctrine, science) is a field of medicine and biology that studies the causes, mechanisms of development and clinical manifestations tumors. Oncology studies methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tumors. According to the nature and rate of growth, tumors are divided into benign and malignant.

Benign tumors - tumor benignum, grow slowly, can exist for years without increasing. They are surrounded by their own shell. Removal of a benign tumor with its shell leads to a complete cure of the patient.

Malignant tumors - tumor malignum, grow much faster. Shells do not have. Tumor cells and their strands penetrate into the surrounding tissues (infiltrative growth), damaging them. Malignant formations are often the cause of death not only in the elderly, but also in a relatively young age. In this regard, they are second only to cardiovascular disease.

Basic Cancer Facts

  • Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, with 8.2 million cancer deaths in 2012.
  • Most cancer deaths each year are from lung cancer, stomach, liver, large intestine and breast.
  • The most common types of cancer among men and women differ from each other.
  • About 30% of cancer deaths are caused by five major behavioral and nutritional risk factors, such as a high body mass index, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and alcohol use.
  • Tobacco use is the most significant risk factor for cancer, accounting for over 20% of global cancer deaths and approximately 70% of global lung cancer deaths.
  • Cancer-causing infections such as HBV/HCV and HPV are responsible for 20% of cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries.
  • More than 60% of new cancer cases are in Africa, Asia and Central and South America. These regions account for 70% of all cancer deaths.
  • The number of cancer cases is projected to continue to rise from 14 million in 2012 to 22 million in the coming decades.

There are about 150 types of cancer cells in the human body, of which 80% develop from epithelial tissue, 15% from connective tissue, and 5% from hematopoietic tissue. What are the main causes of cancer?

There are three main external factors for the occurrence of malignant tumors. Physical factors(ionizing radiation, ultraviolet, etc.) - chemical factors(carcinogenic substances) - biological factors(some viruses).

There are also internal causes cancer. Most often we are talking about hereditary predisposition to cancer. Usually, this is either a hereditary decrease in the ability to restore DNA, or a decrease in immunity.
Sometimes the boundaries between external and internal factors become blurred due to the impossibility of determining the primacy of their impact.

Cancer Risk Factors

The main risk factors for cancer worldwide are tobacco use, alcohol use, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity.

Oncological diseases occupy the first positions among the causes of death. Their number is growing every year. This happens because diagnostic methods improve or the number of cases increases.

Scientists around the world are trying to figure out why cancer develops. For some of its forms, the influence of certain factors has been established with great certainty.

Body cells divide when a tissue defect occurs or other cells die. But under the influence of various factors, some of them acquire the ability to divide uncontrollably and transfer this property to child clones. This is how cancer occurs, which, when it enters the bloodstream or lymphatic channel, spreads throughout the body in the form of metastases.

What protects the body from malignant cells

cancer cell

Resistance to cancer development is provided by three main mechanisms:

  • anticarcinogenic;
  • anti-transformational;
  • anticellular.

The first type of protection against carcinogens is provided by the liver and the immune system. When passing through the liver, hazardous substances are neutralized by oxidation by the microsomal system or binding to albumin protein.

So they are transferred to an inactive form and cannot harm. Carcinogens are excreted in bile with the help of feces or urine.

Vitamins E, A, C are involved in antioxidant protection, ensure the integrity and restoration of cell membranes damaged by chemicals or physical factors.

Immunity produces antibodies, interferon proteins to the corresponding carcinogens, oncogenic viruses.

Anti-transformation mechanisms prevent the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells. This is achieved in various ways:

  1. If defective DNA is produced during nuclear division, enzymes are launched that try to repair the damaged area. If it is impossible to replace the site, the p53 protein gene is activated, which triggers apoptosis.
  2. Allogenic inhibition- synthesis by neighboring cells of certain substances that inhibit the development of tumor clones.
  3. contact inhibition- the entry of cAMP from a normal cell into a tumor cell, which inhibits proliferation.

Anticellular mechanisms are carried out by cells of the immune system. Transformed cells are detected by T-lymphocytes. They act directly, damaging pathological clones, or indirectly through the release of various cytotoxic substances. After the attack of lymphocytes, the proliferates are destroyed by the macrophage system.

Specific antibodies include tumor necrosis factor alpha and beta. The action is that they increase the formation of oxygen and peroxide compounds by macrophages and neutrophils, lead to thrombosis in the tumor focus, after which tissue necrosis develops, stimulates the formation of interleukins and interferon.

Lymphocytes attack the malignant cell

But the tumor is able to change its antigenic structure, secretes substances that inhibit the activity of lymphocytes, receptors with which antibodies are able to interact are located inaccessible. This is how the immune response escapes.

10 destructive factors

For some types of oncology, the cause that provokes their development has been established with a high probability. But to a greater extent, various factors create the prerequisites for the development of a tumor against the background of a decrease in anticarcinogenic protection.

Stress and hormones

Israeli scientists conducted research, during which they found that severe stress increases the likelihood of a tumor by 60%. The mechanism is explained by the tension of the hormonal system, depletion of the adrenal glands, which, under emotional stress, actively secrete glucocorticoids.

Prednisolone is involved in providing anti-cancer protection, and a decrease in its level weakens this barrier.

The hormonal background is made up of hormones with pro-oncogenic and anti-oncogenic effects. Estrogens stimulate the proliferation of endometrial, ovarian, and mammary gland cells that are sensitive to it, and increase the likelihood of developing oncology. If, in contrast to them, an insufficient amount of gestagens is synthesized, there is a high probability of the development of hyperplastic processes.

low immunity

A state of reduced immune defense is insufficient activity of cells from the group of T and B-lymphocytes, a decrease in the synthesis of immune proteins. Such a condition can develop after a serious infectious disease, when the immune system is in a state of tension for a long time and its reserves are gradually depleted.

Depletion and liver disease are often accompanied by a decrease in the amount of synthesized protein, which is necessary for the synthesis of interferon, immunoglobulins. This means that there will be a lack of humoral immunity.

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by a perversion of the defense system and its direction against one's own cells. In this position, the tumor develops due to an incorrect reaction to various antigens, the escape of cancer cells from the immune system.

Another evidence of the influence of the state of immunity on oncopathology is SID-associated tumors. More often it is Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphoma, invasive cervical cancer. A decrease in the number of lymphocytes leads to uncontrolled division of altered proliferates and the development of carcinoma.

chronic diseases

In organs affected by chronic diseases, cells suffer from hypoxia and are damaged by various inflammatory factors. Against this background, proliferation processes are intensified, which are aimed at replacing damaged areas.

But inflammation also damages the stem cells from which young ones are formed. Against the background of a decrease in immunity, which is observed in many chronic diseases, anti-cancer protection is weakened, altered cells divide and form pathological foci.

Some diseases directly affect the likelihood of developing cancer. Viral hepatitis is accompanied by active proliferation, which increases the percentage of development of liver carcinoma. Chronic intestinal diseases, inflammation of the cervix, caused by direct damage to the human papillomavirus, reliably lead to the development of a tumor.

Ecology

Pollution external environment toxic emissions, radiation, smoky air in large cities and near industrial enterprises, directly affects cell damage.

It has been proven that after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased significantly. In this case, this is due to the ingress of radioactive iodine into drinking water and food. From there, it entered the cells of the thyroid gland and the radiation and damage occurred from the inside.

Poor nutrition

WHO has identified malnutrition, a lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet, and low body weight as the top five causes of cancer. This is explained by a violation of the balance of nutrients, a decrease in protein synthesis and a delay in the body of metabolic products.

Lack of physical activity

Sufficient physical activity keeps the whole body in good shape, stimulates the intestines. This means that there is no retention of toxic substances and their negative impact on its walls. After exercise blood flow increases, blood oxygen saturation increases, hypoxia decreases - its damaging effects on cells are eliminated.

UV rays

Solar radiation is considered a natural carcinogen. It has the greatest influence on the development of skin cancer on representatives of the Caucasian and Mongoloid races, as well as albinos.

In this case, melanin acts as an anticarcinogen, which gives the skin a dark shade.

Sunburn is a form of skin burn, so the proliferation processes increase, but sometimes the protective mechanisms are not enough and cancer develops. If you intentionally get a tan, the risk increases by 4-5 times. Sunbathing in solariums is not an alternative, the possibility of getting skin cancer remains.

Heredity

predisposition to various diseases can be seen in most people. But the likelihood of developing cancer with chromosomal pathologies increases: Down syndrome - leukemia, Shereshevsky-Turner - uterine cancer, Schweer syndrome - ovarian cancer.

There is a phenomenon of Warthin's "cancer families". They are characterized by the occurrence of malignant tumors in 40% of relatives. The age of their development is significantly lower than the average for this type of tumor. Often not limited to one neoplasm.

The reason lies in genetic rearrangements that are firmly fixed in the chromosomes and are realized in generations under the influence of provoking factors.

Alcohol

Directly strong alcohol and spirits are not direct carcinogens. But with systematic use, the likelihood of developing cancer of the esophagus and stomach increases. Alcohol has a damaging effect on the epithelium, increases proliferation and prerequisites for the development of carcinoma are created.

Smoking

Tobacco smoke is rich in various carcinogens:

  • arsenic compounds;
  • nitrosamines;
  • radioactive substances (polonium and radon);
  • 2-naphthinamil.

The incidence of lung cancer in smokers is higher than in non-smokers. Even passive smoking is a risk factor.

Carcinogens act not only when smoke is inhaled, but also when it enters the bloodstream. They are carried throughout the body and affect tissues tropic to them. This explains the increase in carcinoma of other sites in smokers.

Additional questionable factors

Many other causes of oncology are actively discussed, but most of them are not confirmed by research. The use of a microwave oven for cooking does not threaten additional radiation exposure. Cell phones and signal towers do not affect brain cancer any more than other emitting devices - power lines, computers, televisions.

Outcome

It is not always possible to determine the exact cause of the disease. It is difficult to determine at what stage the damage mechanisms began to prevail over protection. For most oncological processes, there is a combination of various factors.

For example, against the background of chronic diseases, a person began to eat worse, body weight and immunity decreased. In a state of prolonged stress, the hormonal background changed, the person resorted to alcohol as a remedy for depression, which led to alcoholic liver damage and hepatitis.

And there can be many such combinations. Therefore, at this level of science, the cause of the tumor is established presumably.

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