Possible Causes and Treatments for Cancer
Possible Causes and Treatments for Cancer
For as long as I can remember I have always seen people I know suffer with different forms of cancer and I wondered why and how this happens to people. This essay has given me the opportunity to explore some of these complex cancer issues I have seen occur. There are two main forms of cancer that I have seen to affect my family and friends greatly, breast cancer and bone cancer. Both types are extremely painful and tough to come back from once diagnosed. In the next following paragraphs I will cover the possible causes and treatments from these forms of cancer. Breast cancer has always been one form of cancer that has worried me for it occurs mostly in women. Yes, there are men that get breast cancer, a small amount, but there are a few. There are many causes to this cancer, which come from inherited genes (DNA) that can cause normal breasts to become cancerous because the developing cancer and cause run through families. For instance, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes, which keep the cancer tumors from forming, but when mutated, these genes die and cancer is more likely to develop [ (Learn About Cancer, 2010) ]. Although scientists do not know the exact reason or causes for breast cancer, they do have some ideas of the risk factors involved. All of the following are risk factors that you cannot change (of which have not been covered): dense breast tissue, benign (non-cancerous) breast problems, menstrual periods, breast radiation. Now let’s cover some of the known risk factors which I found interesting, not having children or having them later in life, use of birth control pills, using post-menopausal hormone therapy (PHT), not breast feeding, and lack of exercise. There are many types of treatments that could be both effective and not effective. First, local or systemic treatment (shrink the tumor) could be used; the doctor will treat only the tumor and has little affected on the rest of the body. The
For as long as I can remember I have always seen people I know suffer with different forms of cancer and I wondered why and how this happens to people. This essay has given me the opportunity to explore some of these complex cancer issues I have seen occur. There are two main forms of cancer that I have seen to affect my family and friends greatly, breast cancer and bone cancer. Both types are extremely painful and tough to come back from once diagnosed. In the next following paragraphs I will cover the possible causes and treatments from these forms of cancer. Breast cancer has always been one form of cancer that has worried me for it occurs mostly in women. Yes, there are men that get breast cancer, a small amount, but there are a few. There are many causes to this cancer, which come from inherited genes (DNA) that can cause normal breasts to become cancerous because the developing cancer and cause run through families. For instance, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes, which keep the cancer tumors from forming, but when mutated, these genes die and cancer is more likely to develop [ (Learn About Cancer, 2010) ]. Although scientists do not know the exact reason or causes for breast cancer, they do have some ideas of the risk factors involved. All of the following are risk factors that you cannot change (of which have not been covered): dense breast tissue, benign (non-cancerous) breast problems, menstrual periods, breast radiation. Now let’s cover some of the known risk factors which I found interesting, not having children or having them later in life, use of birth control pills, using post-menopausal hormone therapy (PHT), not breast feeding, and lack of exercise. There are many types of treatments that could be both effective and not effective. First, local or systemic treatment (shrink the tumor) could be used; the doctor will treat only the tumor and has little affected on the rest of the body. The
Bibliography: Learn About Cancer. (2010, July 1). Retrieved September 8, 2010, from American Cancer Society: 2010