Cancer

BY DR. FLORA KPAI

B.sc HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, MD.

INTRODUCTION
• Cancer can be defined as uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body or
uncontrolled division of cells at one or more locations in the body.
• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world, there are over 200 types of cancer.
• 10 million people die from cancer every year.
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• At least one third of common cancers are preventable.

• 70% of cancer deaths occur in low-to-middle income countries.

• Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved each year by implementing resource appropriate strategies
for prevention, early detection and treatment.
• Cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in Nigeria every year, with an estimated 102,000 new cases o
f cancer annually.
CLASSES OF CANCER

• Benign cancer or tumours are not cancerous and rarely threaten life. They tend to grow quite s
lowly, do not spread to other parts of the body and are usually made up of cells quite similar to
normal or healthy cells. They will only cause a problem if they grow very large, becoming unco
mfortable or press on other organs - for example uterine fibroids.

• . Malignant cancer or tumours are faster growing than benign tumours and have the ability to s
pread and destroy neighbouring tissue. Cells of malignant tumours can break off from the main
(primary) tumour and spread to other parts of the body through a process known as metastasis
. Upon invading healthy tissue at the new site they continue to divide and grow. These secondar
y sites are known as metastases and the condition is referred to as metastatic cancer.

• Precancerous (or premalignant) describes the condition involving abnormal cells which may (or
is likely to) develop into cancer.
 RISK FACTORS
•Alcohol – The evidence that all types of alcoholic drinks are a cause of a number of cancers is now stronger tha
n ever before. Alcohol can increase the risk of six types of cancers, including bowel (colorectal), breast, mouth,
pharynx and larynx (mouth and throat), oesophageal, liver and stomach;The evidence suggests that in general,
the most alcohol drinks people consume the higher the risk of many cancers.

•Overweight or obese – excess weight has been linked to an increased risk of developing 12 different cancers, i
ncluding bowl and pancreatic cancers. In general, greater weight gain, particularly as adults, is associated with
greater cancer risks.

•Diet and nutrition – Experts suggest that diets and nutritional intake, particularly diets high in red meats, proc
essed meats, salted foods and low in fruits and vegetables have an impact on cancer risks, particularly colorect
um, nasopharynx and stomach.
•Tobacco – Tobacco smoke contains at least 80 different cancer-causing substances (carcinogenic agents). When
smoke is inhaled the chemicals enter the lungs, pass into the blood stream and are transported throughout the
body. This is why smoking or chewing tobacco not only causes lung and mouth cancer. Currently tobacco use is
responsible for around 22% of cancer deaths.

•
RISK FACTORS 2
• Work place hazards – Some people risk being exposed to a cancer-causing substance because of the work that t
hey do. For example, workers in the chemical dye industry have been found to have a higher incidence than nor
mal of bladder cancer.
• Ionising radiation – Manmade sources of radiation can cause cancer and are a risk for workers. These include ra
don, x-rays, gamma rays and other forms of high-energy radiation. Prolonged and unprotected exposure to ultra
violet radiations from the sun, sunlamps and tanning beds can also lead to melanoma and skin malignancies.
• Bacterial infections have not been thought of as cancer-causing agents in the past, but more recent studies hav
e shown that people who have helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach develop inflammation of the stomac
h lining, which increases the risk of stomach cancer.

• The immune system – People who have weakened immune systems are more at risk of developing some types
of cancer. This includes people who have had organ transplants and take drugs to suppress their immune system
s to stop organ rejection, plus people who have HIV or AIDS, or other medical conditions which reduce their im
munity to disease
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF CANCER
• Unusual lumps or swelling – cancerous lumps are often painless and may increase in
size as the cancer progresses
• Coughing, breathlessness or difficulty swallowing – be aware of persistent coughing e
pisodes, breathlessness or difficulty swallowing
• Changes in bowel habit – such as constipation and diarrhoea.
• Unexpected bleeding – includes bleeding from the , anal passage, or blood found in sto
ols, in urine or when coughing
• Unexplained weight loss – a large amount of unexplained and unintentional weight lo
ss over a short period of time (a couple of months)
• Fatigue – which shows itself as extreme tiredness and a severe lack of energy. If fatigu
e is due to cancer, individuals normally also have other symptoms
• Pain or ache – includes unexplained or ongoing pain, or pain that comes and goes.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF CANCER

• Complications with urinating – includes needing to urinate urgently, more frequently, or be

ing unable to go when you need to or experiencing pain while urinating

• Unusual breast changes – look for changes in size, shape or feel, skin changes and pain

• Appetite loss – feeling less hungry than usual for a prolonged period of time

• A sore or ulcer that won’t heal – including a spot, sore wound or mouth ulcer

• Heartburn or indigestion – persistent or painful heartburn or indigestion

• Heavy night sweats – be aware of very heavy, drenching night sweats

PREVENTING CANCER

• Early detection of cancer, a number of cancers which can be identified early which helps to impr
ove the chances of successful treatment outcomes.
• Over a third of all cancers can be prevented by reducing your exposure to risk factors such as toba
cco, obesity, physical inactivity, infections, alcohol, environmental pollution, occupational carcinog
ens and radiation.

• Prevention of certain cancers may also be effective through vaccination against the Hepatitis B Vir
us (HBV) and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), helping to protect against liver cancer and cervica
l cancer respectively.

• Reducing exposures to other carcinogens such as environmental pollution, occupational carcinoge

ns and radiation could help prevent further cancers.
 MANAGING AND TREATING CANCER
• The general types of treatments include:
• Surgery :If a cancer has not metastasised (spread), surgery can remove the entire cancer which may completely cure the diseas
e. Often, this is effective in removing the prostate or a breast or testicle.
• Radiotherapy :Radiation treatment or radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to reduce a tumour or destroy cancer cells as a stan
d-alone treatment and in some cases in combination with other cancer treatments.
• Chemotherapy : Chemotherapy uses chemicals to interfere with the way cells divide - damaging of DNA - so that cancer cells w
ill destroy themselves. Chemotherapy is generally used to treat cancer that has spread or metastasised because the medicines
travel throughout the entire body. It is a necessary treatment for some forms of leukaemia and lymphoma.
• Immunotherapy :Immunotherapy uses the body's own immune system to fight the cancer tumour. Immunotherapy may treat t
he whole body by giving an agent that can shrink tumours.
• Hormone therapy ;Several cancers have been linked to some types of hormones, including breast and prostate cancer. Hormon
e therapy works to change hormone production in the body so that cancer cells stop growing or are killed completely.
• Gene therapy ;The goal of gene therapy is to replace damaged genes with ones that work to address a root cause of cancer: da
mage to DNA. Other gene-based therapies focus on further damaging cancer cell DNA to the point where the cell destroys the
mselves. However, gene therapy is new and has not yet resulted in any successful treatments.
THANK YOU ！