Thursday, September 29, 2005

Be A Cancer Survivor-- Advice About Successful Treatment Methods

Be A Cancer Survivor-- Advice About Successful Treatment Methods: "Be A Cancer Survivor-- Advice About Successful Treatment Methods


Although cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, the survival rate for many types of cancer has remarkably improved in recent years. About 1 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and about half a million people will die of the disease. However, improvements in cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment have greatly increase the survival rate. About 60 percent of all people diagnosed with cancer will be alive 5 years after treatment--and this figure increases each year with new medicines and medical procedures.

Cancer is a group of many related diseases that begin in cells, which are the body's basic building blocks. To understand cancer, it is helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancerous. Normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. Sometimes, this orderly process goes awry. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. Not all tumors are cancerous; tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are NOT cancer. They can often be removed and, in most cases do not come back. Cells in benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Most important, benign tumors are rarely a threat to life.

Malignant tumors ARE cancer. Cells in malignant tumors are abnormal and divide without control or order. Cancer cells invade and destroy the tissue around them. Cancer cells can also break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system.

Blood vessels include the network or arteries, ca"

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