Most people don't usually associate cancer with teens.
Cancer is more common in adults, so it's likely that you know
someone who has had it, such as an older relative or someone in a
friend's family. But teens can get some
types of cancer
, too. Read on to learn about cancer and how it's treated.
What Is Cancer?
The word cancer actually refers to many diseases, not one. In
fact, there are more than 100 types of diseases known collectively
as cancer. What they all have in common is the overgrowth of
cells
, tiny units that make up all living things. Cancer (also known as
malignancy
, pronounced: muh-
lig
-nun-see) occurs when cells begin to grow and multiply in an
uncontrolled way.
Normal body cells grow and divide over a period of time until
they eventually die. But cancer cells continue to grow and divide
and grow and divide. Eventually, they gather to form tumors.
Tumors
(pronounced:
too
-murz) are lumps that can interfere with the body's normal
processes. Sometimes cells from a tumor break away and travel to a
different tissue or organ. This is called
metastasis
(pronounced: muh-
tas
-tuh-sus).
As scary as all this sounds, most cancers can be treated and
controlled and many people with cancer get better and lead normal
lives.
How Do People Get Cancer?
No one really knows why cancer grows in certain people.
Scientists and researchers are working to discover why some people
get cancer and others do not. This will help them to learn whether
cancer can be prevented.
Doctors do have some ideas about why people may get cancer,
though. The main reasons are
genetics
and certain environmental or behavioral
triggers
.
The tendency to develop some types of cancer is believed to be
inherited
- that is, the genes you were born with might carry a
predisposition for cancer. For example, if a close relative has had
cancer of the breast or the colon, you may be more likely to
inherit the tendency to develop those cancers, even though you may
never actually get them.
Some behavioral and environmental triggers can cause changes in
the body's cells that push them into a cancerous state. For
example,
cigarettes
are known to increase the risk of lung cancer. Too much exposure to
the
sun
can increase the risk of skin cancer. These types of triggers act
on the body slowly over time, so the cancers that may result from
them don't show up until a person is an adult. That's one
reason why teens don't get the same types of cancers as adults
do.
Doctors do know for sure that cancer itself is not contagious,
so you don't have to worry about catching it from someone else
or spreading it to another person (although people with certain
infectious diseases such as
AIDS
or
hepatitis
are more vulnerable to certain cancers). Cancer is also never a
person's fault. It's simply not true that a person may have
done something wrong to get the disease.
How Do People Know They Have Cancer?
The first sign of cancer is a symptom - a signal that something
is wrong. There are many different signs that a person may have
cancer, just as there are many different forms of the disease. A
few of the more common symptoms of cancer include:
- extreme exhaustion
- swelling or lumps in certain parts of the body, such as the
abdomen or neck
- headaches
- blurred vision
- nausea
- problems with walking or balance
- more infections
- unusual bleeding
Only you know how your body works and what you feel like when
you're healthy. If you haven't been feeling well, it's
best to tell an adult who can make sure you see a doctor who will
evaluate your symptoms. Cancer, like most illnesses, is easier to
treat when it's found early, so when in doubt, check it
out.
If a doctor suspects that a person has cancer, he or she will
order various tests. These might include
blood tests
, in which doctors examine blood cells under a microscope to look
for problems,
X-rays
, or an
MRI
, a test that can be used to detect tumors. Doctors also often use
a
biopsy
(pronounced:
bye
-op-see) to diagnose cancer. In this procedure, a doctor removes a
small tissue sample to examine it for cancer cells.
How Do Doctors Treat Cancer?
Most cancers can be treated, especially the types of cancers
teens are likely to get. The number of people who beat cancer goes
up every year because of new cancer treatments.
There are three common methods for treating cancer: surgery,
chemotherapy, and radiation. Because cancer is different in each
patient, each person's treatment plan will be individually
designed for him or her. A person with cancer may undergo any one
of these treatments or a combination of them. A doctor who
specializes in treating people with cancer is called an
oncologist
(pronounced: ahn-
kah
-luh-jist).
Surgery
removes cancerous tissue. Depending on the location of a
person's cancer, surgery can be simple or complex, so the
operation may be an outpatient procedure (where a person is in and
out of the hospital on the same day) or may require that the person
stay in the hospital. Generally, the surgeon removes the cancerous
tissue along with a small amount of the healthy tissue surrounding
it to make sure that all the cancer is removed and has not
spread.
The treatment of cancer using medication is called
chemotherapy
. Certain cancers respond well to chemotherapy, which can often be
given on an outpatient basis. A person who is having chemotherapy
may experience nausea, fatigue, hair loss, or other side effects.
Some of these side effects happen because chemotherapy medicines
may destroy some healthy cells in the process of getting rid of the
malignant cells. In time, these healthy cells will start to grow
again and most of the side effects will disappear.
Radiation
, or radiotherapy, is another method of treating cancer. A person
getting radiation for cancer will probably be treated by a
radiation oncologist
, someone who specializes in using radiation to kill cancer cells.
Radiotherapy machines deliver powerful X-rays or high-energy
electrons to the part of a person's body that's affected by
cancer. After repeated doses of high levels of radiation, many
cancerous tumors shrink or disappear.
Radiation therapy is generally painless, but there may be some
side effects. Side effects of radiation therapy may include
fatigue, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Some patients complain that
the area of skin that's irradiated feels sunburned. But most of
these side effects are temporary.
Coping With and Recovering From Cancer
Coping with cancer and cancer treatments can disrupt a
person's life for a while. People with cancer often need to get
support from lots of different places to take care of the things
they have to get done. For example, teens with cancer may need the
help of a home tutor to get schoolwork done and adults with cancer
may need help with housework or their jobs. And lots of people talk
to
therapists
or professional counselors about the emotional side of dealing with
a health problem.
You may hear doctors talk about a
prognosis
for a person with cancer. A prognosis is an estimate of how well
that person's treatment is working and how likely it is that
the cancer will come back.
After surgery or treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, a
doctor will do tests to see if the cancer is still there. If there
are no signs of cancer, then that person is in what's called
remission
(pronounced: rih-
mih
-shun). Remission is the goal when anyone with cancer goes to the
hospital for treatment. Sometimes, additional treatment, such as
chemotherapy, might be needed for a while to keep a person in
remission and to keep cancer cells from coming back.
Reviewed by:
Donna Patton, MD
Date reviewed: June 2007
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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