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Despite the fact that this is the most common type of cancer in the world, it stands on its own in cancer statistics.

There are two types of this disease: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer - the vast majority of skin cancers.

The most common form is basal cell carcinoma: a tumor that develops from cells in the deep layer of the epidermis. Millions of such diagnoses are made around the world every year.

No one has accurate statistics, because skin cancer (except melanoma) is not taken into account in general calculations. Skin cancer that is not melanoma is highly treatable, does not metastasize, and in 99% of cases does not lead to death.

Symptoms of basal cell skin cancer are redness and flaking of the skin that does not go away for a long time.

Often this type of cancer appears on the face. A common treatment method is photodynamic therapy: it allows you to remove the tumor and maintain the aesthetic appearance of the skin.

Melanoma itself is an extremely dangerous type of tumor. It occurs when moles on the human body degenerate into a malignant formation. In the world, about 200 thousand people get melanoma every year, and in Russia - about 10 thousand. This type of cancer often and quickly metastasizes, including to the brain.

A doctor is usually contacted with suspicious moles that have changed color or shape, are growing and are bleeding.

If there is a possibility of melanoma, the doctor will order a full examination to find out how far the tumor has gone and whether it has metastasized. The mole is then removed and sent for histological examination to confirm the diagnosis.

“If melanoma has already metastasized, the patient is prescribed drug therapy. In the treatment of melanoma, immunotherapy and targeted therapy show great effectiveness. For some, traditional chemotherapy is also suitable. In order to prescribe adequate treatment, it is necessary to examine the morphology of the tumor and understand in which genes the mutations have occurred,” explains Doctor of Medical Sciences, head of the Center for Laser and Photodynamic Diagnostics and Tumor Therapy of the Moscow Research Institute of Orthopedics. Herzen Elena Filonenko.

Lung cancer

It most often leads to death - 20% of all deaths from malignant tumors are due to lung cancer. And only 5% of people who are diagnosed with this disease will live 10 years or more - all because this disease is often detected at a late stage, when it is no longer curable.

All over the world, men get lung cancer twice as often as women, in Russia - four times more often.

The main reason, of course, is smoking (men smoke more often than women) - smokers have a 15 times higher risk of lung cancer than those who have never smoked. But the development of lung cancer is also influenced by harmful conditions when working in production, where men are mainly employed - for example, in the oil industry, in coal mining and processing, and in metallurgy.

Smoking a hookah, contrary to popular belief, is also not harmless - it doubles the risk of lung cancer.

Lung cancer usually affects men over 60 years of age. In 2015, 48 thousand men and 12 thousand women fell ill with lung cancer (as well as trachea and bronchi) in Russia.

There are several types of lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, large cell and small cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Recently, tumors of several types are common. Lung cancer can also be central or peripheral.

In the later stages, it gives numerous metastases - to the liver, brain, bones, and another lung. Prognosis and treatment greatly depend on which tumor is found in the patient and at what stage.

“In the early stages, lung cancer in most cases occurs without clinical manifestations. The disease is detected in such an early phase of development during an annual preventive examination with mandatory radiography, or better yet, a CT scan of the chest. The development of the disease can be suspected by a prolonged persistent cough with streaks of blood in the sputum. Unfortunately, often patients, especially long-term smokers, do not pay due attention to these symptoms,” says Doctor of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Thoracoabdominal Oncology Surgery of the Moscow Oncology Research Institute named after. Herzen Andrey Ryabov.

In the later stages, constant shortness of breath, aching chest pain, hemoptysis, general weakness and increased body temperature appear. Patients often complain of pain of various localizations (due to metastases in the bones, nerve damage). It is not difficult to detect the disease at this moment, but treatment will not help much.

Andrey Ryabov

Head of the Department of Thoracoabdominal Oncology Surgery, Moscow Oncology Research Institute named after. Herzen, Doctor of Medical Sciences

The most dangerous type of lung cancer is small cell lung cancer. It quickly metastasizes throughout the body. If a patient is diagnosed with small cell lung cancer at any stage, treatment - chemotherapy - must be started immediately.

For non-small cell lung cancer in the first to third stages, surgery can be effective - removing the lung or part of it. Depending on the stage of the disease, this can cure from 30 to 80% of patients.

If surgical treatment is not possible for any reason, radiation therapy can be an alternative to surgery: with its help, 15-30% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer of the first and second stages recover.

Radiation therapy may also be given as an additional treatment after surgery.

Unfortunately, at the last stage of lung cancer the probability of death is 100%. Doctors can only offer palliative care: to slightly prolong life and relieve the patient’s pain.

In Russia in 2015, more than 60 thousand new cases were discovered. In general - 12%, that is, every eighth woman will face this diagnosis during her life.

The likelihood of getting sick increases rapidly after 40-50 years.

Breast tumors are divided into hormone-dependent and non-hormone-dependent. The first type is less aggressive and better treated.

Breast cancer can also be genetically determined - it is much more dangerous than non-hereditary forms. Therefore, those women whose relatives have already been ill need to be especially careful in their diagnosis and treatment.

In general, breast cancer is treated quite well. In the early stages, the effectiveness is more than 90%. And the survival rate at the first stage is approaching 100%.

According to the head of the department of breast oncology of the Moscow Oncology Institute named after. Herzen Aziz Zikiryakhodzhaev, now breast cancer is increasingly detected quite early: 20-30 years ago only 40% of tumors were found at the first or second stage, now - about 70%.

It is not always necessary to remove the breast in cases of breast cancer. At the first and second stages, only the sector of the gland where the tumor is located is removed. In later stages, the gland has to be removed completely, but thanks to implants, doctors can maintain an aesthetic appearance. appearance.

Aziz Zikiryakhodzhaev

Head of the Department of Breast Oncology, Moscow Research Institute of Orthopedics. Herzen

Depending on the stage of the disease and the type of tumor, surgery may be supplemented with chemotherapy, hormonal or radiation therapy.

If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (usually the axillary, subscapular and subclavian nodes), then they also have to be removed.

Today, the procedure is much more gentle than in the 1970-1980s: then surgeons immediately removed all the lymph nodes, and sometimes even the muscles - because of this, women developed problems with the arm, lymphostasis (edema).

Now only the affected lymph nodes are removed, and after the operation they carry out rehabilitation: they put loads on the arm, do vacuum drainage. Thanks to this, women experience almost no postoperative complications.

Prevention of breast cancer includes pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Many people believe that oral contraceptives (OCs) increase the risk of breast cancer - doctors agree that this is not the case. Perhaps even the opposite: in some cases, OCs can reduce the risk of cancer.

By the way, regarding pregnancy: if a young woman gets breast cancer, she will be able to give birth to a child even after treatment. If doctors prescribe chemotherapy or radiation therapy, they suggest freezing the eggs first. You can get pregnant two years after recovery.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. In Russia, it is diagnosed in more than 40 thousand people a year.

Men over 50 years of age are at risk - they should regularly visit a urologist and undergo examinations, including monitoring the level of prostate-specific antigen in the blood.

In the initial stages, prostate cancer has no specific symptoms.

Symptoms of another disease are more common: difficulty urinating, frequent trips to the toilet, discomfort when urinating.

Prostate adenoma is a benign disease; it is in no way related to cancer and cannot develop into cancer.

But these two diseases can develop in parallel. Often a person comes to a urologist with symptoms of prostate adenoma, and during the examination they find cancer.

In advanced stages, the symptoms of prostate cancer are the same as any other cancer: poor health, sudden weight loss for no reason, weakness, bone pain (due to metastases).

There are also some specific symptoms that are characteristic of prostate cancer in the later stages - pain in the lower abdomen, severe difficulty urinating.

Prostate cancer is highly treatable. Almost 100% of patients with localized prostate cancer with proper treatment will live more than five years, 98% - more than 10 years. Even if detected at a late stage, there is every chance of survival for four to five years or more.

The main thing in the treatment of prostate cancer is that for a long time It is possible to save the patient not only life, but also the high quality of this life.

Up to 85% of prostate tumors are hormone-dependent and therefore respond well to hormonal therapy. This treatment, unlike chemotherapy, allows you to lead a full life.

Even if prostate cancer is detected at a late stage, hormonal therapy can contain the development of cancer, and all this time the patient will lead a normal lifestyle. Then, when hormonal therapy stops working, you can fight the disease with more aggressive “chemistry” for another two or three years.

We have had cases where patients with the last stage of prostate cancer, with bone metastases, lived for 8-10 years on hormone therapy, went to work and did everything that healthy people do. Ultimately, of course, they needed “chemistry”; it would give them a few more years of life.

Nikolay Vorobiev

Head of the Department of Oncourology, Moscow Research Institute of Orthopedics named after. Herzen, Ph.D.

In the remaining 15% of cases, the prostate tumor is not sensitive to hormones - this is a more difficult situation to treat.

Patients with such a tumor are immediately prescribed chemotherapy; the prognosis for them is worse than for patients with a hormone-dependent tumor.

One of the main methods of treatment is surgery, during which the entire gland is removed. Men are often afraid or even refuse surgical treatment - they fear that they will have problems with urination and erectile function.

But today oncology surgery has achieved great success, including in plastic surgery and reconstruction of organs after tumor removal - it is possible to recreate the urinary tract and maintain erectile function.

According to Nikolai Vorobyov, the majority of operated patients do not have problems with urination; some men retain an erection.

Sometimes prostate cancer may not be treated at all. There is such a term - clinically insignificant cancer: it is a small tumor that does not develop or develops very slowly.

You can live with such a tumor for decades and die from another disease altogether.

Abroad, many men with clinically insignificant prostate cancer choose dynamic observation, but in our country the mentality is different: the majority still do not want to walk around with a “time bomb” - they prefer to be treated and remove the tumor.

Colorectal cancer (colon and rectal cancer)

Colorectal cancer occurs almost equally often in both sexes. In Russia, this disease is found in 30 thousand men and 35 thousand women every year. The risk of getting sick increases after 50 years.

In addition to the general symptoms that may indicate cancer - unexpected weight loss, weakness, fever - colorectal cancer has a number of specific symptoms.

First of all, this is blood in the stool, changes in the shape of the stool (diarrhea or constipation), pain and cramps in the lower abdomen.

Sometimes blood in the stool is not visible, but there is still bleeding in the intestines - then the first symptom of colorectal cancer may be anemia.

It is possible to confirm that blood loss occurs in the intestines using a stool occult blood test.

If there is a suspicion of cancer, the person undergoes an examination of the intestines - a colonoscopy. Bleeding in the colon and rectum can be caused not only by cancer, but also by polyps.

About 90% of them are harmless, but the remaining 10% are adenomatous polyps, which are highly likely to develop into cancer.

If during the examination the doctor finds adenomatous polyps, he will remove them. Those who have ever been diagnosed with such polyps need to carefully monitor their health and undergo regular colonoscopy.

Colorectal cancer is often hereditary. Those at particular risk are those whose relatives have repeatedly suffered from colon and rectal cancer, or who have multiple intestinal polyps in their family. Even if one relative had colorectal cancer, but under the age of 50, this is also a reason to be wary.

People at high genetic risk are advised to be screened for occult blood in their stool from a young age and to have colonoscopies more often.

Treatment of colorectal cancer is complex. First, radiation therapy, then the tumor is removed along with a segment of the intestine, and then, if necessary, chemotherapy is prescribed.

Previously, surgery for many types of colorectal cancer resulted in doctors completely removing the rectum, and the analogue anus formed on the anterior abdominal wall. This, of course, brought great discomfort and reduced the quality of life, even if the disease was overcome.

At the second and third stages, from 50 to 90% of patients with colorectal cancer can be cured. At the last stage, when the tumor has metastasized, the probability of surviving more than five years decreases to approximately 10%.

Health

The horror and fear that comes to a person when he hears such a diagnosis can hardly be compared with anything. It is the number 2 cause of death among Americans, led by cardiovascular disease. Even with early diagnosis and treatment in the newest ways, he still has the power to kill a person.

Despite the fact that today there are such latest methods treatments that were unknown a few decades ago, a “cure for cancer” is still something that is still elusive to science. There are about 100 types of cancer, as well as many causes that contribute to its development, ranging from radiation to various viruses and exposure to carcinogens.

Cancer cells and the direction in which they grow are still unpredictable, and in some cases the process is completely mysterious. Even after seemingly effective treatment, cunning cancer cells can still make themselves known.

About $200 billion has been spent on cancer research since the early 1970s, with patient survival rates increasing from 50 to 65 percent.

"We wouldn't know as much about cancer today if basic clinical science research wasn't funded," says Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, one of the American Cancer Society's experts. “Basic science tells us how things work and how effective drugs can be, and we absorb that information and put it to the test.”

Below are the 10 cancers that killed the most people in the United States from 2003 to 2007, according to available information from the National Cancer Institute.

1. Bronchial and lung cancer: 792,495 lives

This type of cancer is the most scary killer people in the USA. Smoking and consumption of tobacco products is the main cause of its development, which most often affects people aged 55-65 years. There are two main types of such cancer: non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most common, and small cell lung cancer, which progresses much faster. More than 175,000 people are expected to die from bronchial and lung cancer in 2010.

2. Colon and rectal cancer: 268,783 lives

According to the National Cancer Institute, colon cancer develops in the tissues of the colon, while rectal cancer develops within a few inches of the colon. In most cases, cancer begins as a collection of small, benign tumors called polyps, which become cancerous over time. It is recommended to undergo regular screening to detect polyps before they become cancerous. Colorectal cancer is projected to kill 51,000 people in 2010.

3. Breast cancer: 206983 lives

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States after skin cancer. But this type of cancer also sometimes occurs in men; between 2003 and 2008, about 2,000 cases of breast cancer in the stronger sex were recorded. As a rule, this type Cancer develops in the ducts that carry milk to the breast, or in the glands that produce it. An estimated 40,000 people will die from breast cancer in 2010.

4. Pancreatic cancer: 162878 lives

This type of cancer begins to develop in the tissue of the pancreas, which helps digestion and is involved in regulating metabolism. It is extremely difficult to detect in its early stages because it often progresses quickly and unnoticed. According to sad forecasts, this type of cancer will claim the lives of 37,000 people in 2010.

5. Prostate cancer: 144,926 lives

According to statistics, this type of cancer is the second most common cause of death in men after lung and bronchial cancer. Typically, cancer begins to slowly develop in the prostate gland, which produces seminal fluid to “transport” sperm. Some types of this cancer are limited to the prostate gland and do not spread further, which makes the treatment procedure easier, while others, on the contrary, are more aggressive, as a result of which cancer cells begin to populate the entire body. In 2010, prostate cancer will kill about 32,000 men.

6. Leukemia: 108,740 lives

There are many types of this cancer, but each affects the body's blood-forming tissues, namely the bone marrow and lymphatic system, resulting in the production of abnormal white blood cells. Leukemia is classified by how quickly it progresses and which cells it affects. A type called acute myeloid leukemia killed the most people during the period under review (41,714 people). Almost 22,000 people are projected to die from leukemia in 2010.

7. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: 104,407 lives

This type of cancer destroys lymphocytes, the white blood cells, and is characterized by severely swollen lymph nodes, fever, and weight loss. There are several types of this cancer, which are classified depending on the rate of progression of the disease, as well as what type of lymphocytes are affected. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a devastating disease that is expected to claim 20,000 lives in 2010.

8. Cancer of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts: 79,773 lives

Liver cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer worldwide, but is quite rare in the United States. However, in recent years the disease has been gaining momentum. The most common situation in the United States is that cancer begins to develop in another part of the body and then spreads to the liver. Very close in symptoms to liver cancer is cancer of the intrahepatic bile ducts, which develops in the channels that carry bile from the liver to the colon. This type of cancer is projected to kill nearly 19,000 Americans in 2010.

9. Ovarian cancer: 73,638 lives

Ovarian cancer is the number 4 cause of death among American women. Middle age The woman who receives this diagnosis is 63 years old. Cancer is easier to treat but harder to detect in its early stages. Nevertheless, latest research in this field have been able to shed light on some early symptoms that can provide invaluable assistance in early diagnosis. These symptoms include discomfort in the lower abdomen, frequent pain in the pelvic area, and frequent urination. In 2010, it is predicted that 14,000 women will die from ovarian cancer.

10. Esophageal cancer: 66659 lives

This type of cancer begins to develop in the cells lining the esophagus (the tube that carries food to the stomach) and tends to occur most often in the lower part of the esophagus. This cancer kills more men than women and is expected to kill 14,500 people in 2010.

Hodgkin's lymphoma

If you are between 25 and 30 years old, there is a risk of enlarged lymph nodes. Most often this happens in the chest. A tumor appears and begins to put pressure on internal organs and interferes with their full functioning. Over time, it spreads to the liver, spleen, lungs and bone marrow. It is possible to survive and be cured at the early stage of Hodgkin lymphoma (91% of patients), but at the later stage it is also possible (73%).

According to the US National Cancer Institute, people who have had infectious mononucleosis are more at risk of the disease. One of the first signs of an impending illness is constantly swollen lymph nodes in the throat area. Cancer may not necessarily be the cause of this. But this is not a reason to ignore the disease. As soon as you notice, run to a surgeon or hematologist.

Testicular cancer

It affects the tissues covering the testicular canals from the inside, in which sperm are formed. Late stages can result in metastases in the lymph nodes of the groin, as well as the liver, brain and bones. At the early stage, up to 99% of patients survive, at the late stage - 73%. Make sure that the testicles descend into the scrotum. Otherwise, your chances of ending up with cancer become 20-40 times greater. How to detect the disease? Doctors advise not to be shy and feel the organ. Noticed a painless nodule? Quickly see an oncologist.

Brain tumor

A brain tumor is a growth of auxiliary nervous tissue that begins to put pressure on the entire organ. In most cases, such tumors are malignant. But they don’t spread anywhere else except the brain.

Survival:

• at an early stage - 65%;
• at the later stage - only 17%.

If you suffer from constant headaches, nausea, lethargy, loss of skin sensitivity, disturbances of consciousness, etc., contact a neurologist and ask them to do a tomography.

Source: depositphotos.com

Melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of cancer. Although it begins with the harmless degeneration of a mole, in most cases the process turns out to be malignant. Cancer cells migrate very quickly throughout the body and easily penetrate other tissues, forming metastases. It is possible to be cured at an early stage (91%). But if you last until the last, then only 15% have a chance of survival. This is because melanoma often ends in cancer of the liver, lungs, bones and brain.

Basically, the disease clings to ultraviolet lovers. So don't get carried away with tanning on the beach or solariums. Melanoma also occurs in blue-eyed people, blondes, redheads, people with large birthmarks, and those with many moles on their skin. If you notice any change in your spots (color, size, hair loss), contact a dermatologist.

Colon cancer

This disease usually develops from polyps on the walls of the colon, which become swollen due to polyposis. Colon cancer metastases can reach the liver, lungs and bones. It is possible to survive at the early stage (90%), while at the later stage it is more difficult (12%). Most often, the disease appears in those who take a lot of medications and eat a lot of animal fats. The latter decompose in the intestines into carcinogenic substances. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not eat foods rich in coarse fiber are even more susceptible to colon cancer. You can find out if you have this disease with the help of a gastroenterologist and colonoscopy.

Stomach cancer

The disease occurs on the wall of the stomach. Metastases quickly spread to neighboring lymph nodes, affecting the esophagus, liver, pancreas and lungs.

Survival:

• early stage - 71%;
• late stage - 4%.

The reasons are excessive consumption of too salty and smoked foods, starch (potatoes) and alcohol. Stomach cancer can also occur due to hereditary diseases, gastritis and ulcers. In the early stages, cancer is difficult to distinguish from ordinary poisoning or gastritis. We recommend having a gastroscopy once a year. Symptoms: lack of appetite, sudden weight loss, periodic unusual mild abdominal pain.

Source: depositphotos.com

Lung cancer

Most often the disease develops in the bronchi. The danger lies in the fact that it makes itself known after it has touched neighboring organs or reached the brain and bones. At the early stage you have 54% survival rate, at the later stage - no more than 4%. The main cause of this type of cancer is smoking. Only chest tomography or endoscopic examination, called fibrobronchoscopy, helps to detect it at an early stage.

Kidney cancer

Occurs in the tissues of the canals where urine formation occurs. Metastases spread to the second kidney, adrenal glands, liver, lungs, brain, skull, spine and pelvis.

Survival:

• at an early stage - 90%;
• at the later stage - 11%.

Reasons: smoking, alcohol, obesity, heredity, constant overdose of analgesics and diuretics. In 25-40% of cases it is discovered accidentally during ultrasound or computed tomography. One of the characteristic symptoms at a far from early stage is blood in the urine, after which you will run to a urologist even without examination.

Bladder cancer

It occurs, accordingly, in the bladder itself. The first symptoms appear too late: when the disease grows through the wall of the bladder, or the tumor itself has matured and begins to bleed. Metastases can affect the lungs, liver, and bones. At the early stage, 98% of patients have a chance to survive, at the late stage - only 6%.

Causes: smoking, inflammatory processes (cystitis), bladder papilloma. Bladder cancer can be detected early using cytoscopy.

Today it is very current question- cancer treatment. Before considering it, it is important to know what types of cancer exist and which one is the most dangerous for health and life.

Cancer. General information

Cancer is a serious malignant disease that develops from healthy epithelial cells and can affect any organ or system of the human body. To this day, the reasons for the growth of pathological cells have not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the more we are aware of the facts known to modern medicine, the easier it is to avoid this or find the right way out.

There is a theory that the appearance of cancer is associated with mutation of body tissues. But this has not been proven, like other versions.

Causes of occurrence. Types of cancer

Having information about the causes can protect everyone who is at risk for some reason. Here are some common reasons that explain the nature of the appearance of foreign cells in a healthy body:

• air pollution;
• genetic abnormalities;
• nicotine use;
• inflammatory processes in the chronic stage;
• viruses and infections;
• alcoholism;
• carcinogens, which are now used in almost everything, and whose effects cannot be avoided.

What types of cancer are there? There are several varieties:

• carcinoma is the most common species cancer that affects the esophagus, prostate, mammary glands;
• leukemia - cancer that is localized in the bone marrow, but metastasizes throughout the body;
• Sarcoma is a cancer that arises from cells of the lymphatic system.

Blood cancer. Dangerous view

Blood cancer is also called a group of diseases of the circulatory system. Among them there are particularly dangerous types of blood cancer, hematosarcoma, lymphoma, angioma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute monoblastic leukemia and others.

Leukemia is manifested by impaired differentiation and proliferation of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. With this pathology, a large number of cancer cells accumulate in the body, which are not responsible for any function, but only slowly poison the body. Leukemia most often affects older people or children under 4 years of age.

Genital cancer. Uterine cancer

Tumors of the genital organs are malignant formations that can affect external and internal organs.

Uterine cancer is common among women. Types of uterine cancer affect women from 55 to 70 years old, but exceptions often occur when very young women undergo examination and are given a terrible diagnosis - There is a hormonal type and an autonomous one.

• Hormonal cancer is a “younger” cancer that occurs in women under 40 years of age who, at a young age, suffered from problems with conception, diabetes, hyperglycemia and other problems.
• Autonomous is observed in older women - 60-70 years old. Such patients have a reduced sensitivity to hormones and the absence of metabolic disorders of the endocrine system.

Gastrointestinal cancer

Tumors of the stomach and intestines are a very common disease. Such species are known and gastrointestinal tract:

• polypoid - makes up about 6% of all types, and its effect is that the cancer eats away the walls of the stomach. Pathological areas affected by cancer stand out clearly against the background of healthy tissue;
• carcinoma, cancer-ulcer or ulcerative - accounts for about 36%, clear edges are visible, but practically does not differ from a stomach ulcer;
• partial carcinoma - has no clear edges, protrudes above the level of healthy tissue and affects large areas of the stomach;
• infiltrative cancer - develops inside the walls of the stomach, difficult to diagnose;
• adenocarcinoma - starts from the cells of the mucous membrane, or more precisely, the glandular epithelium.

And also some types of intestinal cancer:

• adenocarcinoma;
• lymphoma;
• carcinoma;
• leukomyosarcoma.

Types of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract can metastasize, but with timely contact with an oncologist, effective treatment can be carried out.

Lung cancer. The most dangerous type of cancer

A malignant neoplasm that appears from the bronchial epithelium. Experts, having found out what types of cancer there are and studying their pathogenesis, determined that a lung tumor is the most life-threatening cancer.

Lung cancer:

• central - the main bronchi are affected;
• peripheral - the tumor grows from the alveoli and small bronchi;
• mediastinal - characterized by the rapid appearance of metastases in the lymph nodes;
• disseminated form - a large number of foci of growth of pathological cells are formed in the lung tissue;
• sarcoma;
• low differentiated. This type of lung cancer is one of the most dangerous.

What are the causes of this terrible pathology? Smoking primarily influences the occurrence of lung tumors. It doesn't matter whether it's active or passive smoking. The very fact of inhaling carcinogens is the main cause of cancer development. The next factor that can cause these types of cancer is contact with poisons such as nickel, cadmium, and arsenic.

Heredity also plays a role in the occurrence of a tumor, along with factors such as radiation exposure, poor ecology, chronic pulmonary diseases and others.

Breast cancer

What types of cancer do women have? Most often in women, the mammary glands are affected. This disease leads the list of the most dangerous and common pathologies. Mostly women between 40 and 60 years old suffer from breast tumors, but the disease is rapidly becoming younger, and types of breast cancer are already being identified that affect young girls.

Most tumors that are detected by a mammologist or women themselves can be classified as benign. These are galactocele, fibrocystic mastopathy and fibroadenoma of the gland. Such cancers diagnosed in optimal timing, is promptly identified by oncologists, and treatment is carried out, possibly even removal of the mammary glands in order to avoid a repeat process.

What are the reasons for the development of pathological cell growth in the mammary gland:

• abnormalities in the development of the mammary gland;
• alcoholism, smoking and other bad habits are important factor risk, if we also take into account the woman’s genetic predisposition;
• poor environment, polluted air and poor quality drinking water;
• late birth can also become a trigger at the beginning of the development of pathology;
• long-term use of hormonal drugs and others.

If breast cancer is contacted in a timely manner, it can be treated with the possibility of preventing recurrence.

Symptoms of cancer

The problem is that in the initial stages of development, cancer does not make itself felt, and only early diagnosis will help determine the presence and severity of the pathological process.

Symptoms of cancer are:

• rapid weight loss;
• elevated body temperature for a long time;
• a state of apathy and constant fatigue for no reason;
• color, shape, size may change birthmarks or moles;
• ulcers appear in the mouth;
• Painful sensations increase over time.

In addition to the main symptoms, there are also specific ones. Prolonged wound healing may indicate changes in cells in the body, loss of their function - cancer processes. Unusual discharge or bleeding, as well as problems urinating, may indicate the presence of cancer cells in the body.

Diagnosis of cancer types

Today there are many unresolved questions that oncology poses. Cancers mutate and become invulnerable. For quality treatment, it is necessary to correctly diagnose the disease.

For these purposes, ultrasound therapy, mammography (to identify types of breast cancer), an endoscopic method for diagnosing tumors in the stomach, esophagus and intestines, magnetic resonance imaging, radioisotope diagnostics and others are used.

Read more about X-ray examination - the main method for diagnosing cancer.

Radiography is used at the slightest suspicion of pathological processes in cells. Using this method, you can examine the lungs, colon, stomach, and bones. Recently they began to use special methods- bronchography, angiography, which significantly increase the likelihood of detecting cancer processes.

Treatment of cancer

For many years now, there has been active discussion and research into drugs for the treatment of cancer. But, unfortunately, medicine has not yet found the only way to cure such patients. Therefore, after detection of cancerous processes, complex treatment is carried out using radiation therapy, chemotherapy drugs and surgical methods.

• Radiation therapy for cancer patients: the principle of this treatment is the increased sensitivity of pathological cells to ionizing radiation. After this procedure, a mutation occurs in the diseased cells and they die. Therapy is not indicated for children, since their cells are still in the developmental stage and are most susceptible to radiation. Some types of lung cancer are successfully treated after the procedure.
• Chemotherapeutic effects on cancer cells are very aggressive, and the procedure is indicated only in advanced stages, if other types of cancer treatment do not help. The dose is selected depending on the patient’s weight, type of tumor, its position and the patient’s condition. Different drugs are combined to maximize the effect on tumor cells.
• Surgical treatment is often resorted to, as it is the most effective and reliable method. Treatment consists of removing the source of pathology. But the surgical method will be ineffective if metastases have already appeared in the body.

The most severe and dangerous types of cancer, such as lung cancer, cannot always be cured. In this case, supportive therapy is used, but the chances that the patient will survive are very low.

For a more complete understanding of each malignant tumor, a special system was developed, according to which types of neoplasms with specific features in development, diagnosis and treatment were identified.

Carcinoma

Carcinoma is a malignant tumor that is formed from epithelial cells of various structures. Affected cells lose the ability to differentiate, but acquire the ability to undergo intensive and uncontrolled division.

As a result, the structure of nearby tissues and organs is disrupted. In addition, carcinoma has a tendency to metastasize - the spread of cancer cells throughout the body through lymph or blood.

Such activity contributes to the development of new foci of the disease in other organs that are located quite far from the primary neoplasm.

According to statistics, about 6 million people are affected by this disease every year. And the mortality rate among them is quite high - especially in cases with the occurrence of metastases.

Melanoma

Melanoma is a malignant neoplasm that is formed from pigment cells that produce melanin. In most cases, it affects the skin surface, sometimes developing on the retina or mucous membranes.

It is considered an extremely dangerous form of the disease, since there is a high probability of metastases. In addition, in the initial stages there are no pronounced symptoms, so it is quite difficult to diagnose it in a timely manner.

In this regard, a person with such oncology seeks help too late, when it is no longer possible to carry out effective treatment.

Melanoma can be detected by systematically examining moles. For example, they change color, shape, or begin to hurt - any of these signs is considered sufficient to contact a specialist.

It is worth considering that the probability of survival in the last stages is extremely low: 3 - more than 70% of people do not survive the 5-year period after diagnosis, and in stage 4 less than 10% survive.

This article describes the signs of kidney cancer. Distinctive symptoms in women.

Sarcoma

Sarcoma is a malignant tumor that is formed from cells of “immature” connective tissue: bone, muscle, fat, as well as the walls of blood and lymph vessels.

The structure of the neoplasm itself is pinkish in color with white highlights. It develops in a fairly short time, while deforming and destroying nearby tissues.

After removal it can form again. It has the ability to metastasize early, the main area of ​​distribution is the lungs and liver.

This property is caused by more intensive growth of connective tissues in a child. Sarcoma ranks second in the number of deaths among all malignant tumors.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a clonal malignant disease that affects the hematopoietic system. A clone can be formed from immature bone marrow cells of the homeopathic type or already mature blood cells.

Leukemia is characterized by the initial localization of the tumor structure in the bone marrow. During development, the affected tissue replaces healthy hematopoietic germs.

For this reason, patients with leukemia may experience increased bleeding, hemorrhage, and reduced immunity, which is subject to attacks from infectious diseases.

As for the survival prognosis, it largely depends on the form of leukemia. It is obvious that with the acute variety, a person’s life is significantly shortened - patients at the stage survive up to 5 years in 20% of cases. Chronic leukemia allows 60% of patients to reach the threshold of 5 years.

Lymphoma

Initial manifestations include an increase in the size of the lymph nodes in the cervical, axillary and groin areas. Lymphoma has the ability to metastasize. For this reason, it is considered quite dangerous, since treatment often cannot destroy all lesions.

Teratoma

Teratoma is a neoplasm that develops from embryonic cells. In most cases, it affects the ovaries of women, the testicles of men, the coccygeal region in children, and occasionally it can develop in the brain.

It is formed as tissue or even an organ that is atypical for the location of the tumor. In the structure of a teratoma one can observe hair, muscle and bone tissue, and in isolated cases more complex structures: the eye, limbs, torso.

Appears due to failures in coordination in the interaction between the stem cell and its niche at the stage of embryogenesis.

What is noteworthy is that a teratoma forms together with a person - at the stage of intrauterine development. And it can appear for the first time at any age. Such formation is dangerous due to compression of surrounding structures and blood vessels, in particular.

Glioma

Glioma is a malignant brain tumor that develops from glia - a structure consisting of supporting cells nervous system. This type accounts for about 60% of all brain tumors and ranks second among malignant neoplasms that appear in childhood.

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Symptomatic signs depend on the location of the size of the tumor. Among the most common manifestations are persistent headaches, which are usually accompanied by severe nausea and convulsions.

Depending on the affected part of the brain, problems with speech and memory, weakness of muscles and thinking, impaired bowel movements and vision, and partial paralysis may appear. In fact, any brain tumor significantly affects the general condition of the body.

In this case, you don’t even have to take into account intoxication from tumor cells - the size of the tumor, which puts pressure on surrounding structures, causing various harmful manifestations, will be enough.

Therefore, if treatment is not sought in a timely manner, the likelihood of a favorable outcome is extremely low - no more than 15-25% survive 5 years after diagnosis of stage 4.

Choriocarcinoma

Choriocarcinoma is a malignant neoplasm that develops from chorion cells - the outer membrane of the embryo that forms the placenta. Formed in most cases in pregnant women.

Chorionic cells initially have the ability to penetrate and divide in the body. Their transformation occurs due to disruption of the immune system or failures in the genetic code.

The tumor soon affects the vagina, producing copious yellowish-white discharge that becomes purulent over time. The situation is aggravated by the fact that at this stage the woman is treated with various antibiotics for thrush.

This therapy further worsens the immune system, allowing the tumor to develop at a rapid pace.

Subsequently, blood clots appear in the discharge and severe bleeding in the lungs and vagina. The spread of chariocarcinoma into structures is accompanied by pain.

Classification of neoplasms by localization

• Breasts. Formed from the glandular tissue of the mammary gland. The second most common cancer among women. What is noteworthy is that it can be detected independently by feeling the chest. As a result of the lesion, the nipple, the shade of the breast and the structure of the mammary gland change.

Testicles. It is formed from the tissues of the male gonad. A fairly rare disease - it accounts for about 2% of the total number of cancer lesions. Such cancer can be easily diagnosed - this can be done by visual changes consisting in the enlargement of the testicle.

With timely treatment, the likelihood of a favorable outcome is high. In advanced cases, it is possible to remove the testicle.

Larynx. Develops from the epithelial tissue of the larynx. Characterized by a rapid pace of development. Due to its localization, it poses a great threat, since in addition to general intoxication of the body, it compresses the respiratory tract and surrounding blood vessels.

Often in the first stages it is mistaken for a cold - the symptoms are similar. Therefore, diagnosis cannot always be carried out in a timely manner.

Which cancer is the most dangerous? Expert opinion in this video:

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• benign tumors 65
• uterus 39
• women 34
• chest 34
• fibroids 32
• mammary gland 32
• stomach 24
• lymphoma 23
• intestines 23
• malignant tumors 23
• lungs 22
• liver 20
• blood diseases 20
• diagnostics 19
• metastases 18
• Melanoma 16
• adenoma 15
• lipoma 15
• leather 14
• brain 14

Possible types of cancer

Alarming statistics claim that the number of patients diagnosed with various types of cancer is increasing every year around the world. It’s not for nothing that scientists call cancer a disease of civilization.

Cancer does not occur overnight; it is a rather long process, developing over many years. For example, with lung cancer, the tumor grows to a size of one and a half centimeters within 5-10 years. A large number of malignant neoplasms develop in the human body as they age. And the diagnosis is made only after many years. The time it takes for a tumor to grow depends on various factors. Good body resistance can stop growth, and physiotherapeutic procedures in some cases can increase it.

A person who has been diagnosed with cancer experiences quite appropriate fear. But he should not immediately panic, since medicine has learned to deal with this disease, although not with all its manifestations. Many early stage cancers respond well to treatment. The most important thing is to monitor your health and undergo examinations by a doctor in order to detect this disease as early as possible.

5 types of malignant tumors

The human body is made up of many different types of cells. Healthy cells multiply when the body needs it. This happens by dividing them. Those cells that are no longer needed die. This is how healthy cells work. In cancer cells the process is different. They divide quickly and do not die. As a result of this violation, oncology develops.

Scientists have described more than 200 types of cancer that affect different human organs. Various types Cancers have their own characteristics.

1. Carcinoma. The appearance of this tumor is promoted by epithelial cells. The colon, prostate, mammary gland and cervix are the organs most often affected by carcinoma.
2. Melanoma. Skin cells, through their uncontrolled division, cause skin cancer.
3. Sarcoma. Caused by cancerous connective tissue cells. A rather rare tumor, occurring less than one case out of a hundred diagnosed.
4. Leukemia. The cause of this oncology lies in the bone marrow, the stem cells of which cause cancer.
5. Lymphoma. Develops due to cancer cells of hematopoietic tissue. Lymphoid tissue can also cause lymphoma.

Other types of cancer tumors have been described in medicine, but they are rarely diagnosed: gliomas, teratomas, choriocarcinomas.

Treatment of malignant tumors is carried out surgically, using radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The doctor chooses the type of treatment depending on the type of cancer and many other factors.

The operation is prescribed to the patient only after a thorough examination. For a successful surgical outcome, it is necessary to identify all metastases. Together with the tumor, the tissues and lymph nodes adjacent to it, that is, the sites of existing metastases, are removed. If the stage of the disease is early, then, as a rule, one operation is required. Otherwise, other treatment methods, such as chemotherapy, are additionally used.

Radiation therapy methods are used in the fight against distant metastases and oncology that is afraid of radiation. Cancer cells die as a result.

Chemotherapy most often complements surgical treatment. These are medications that can damage cancer tissue.

The most common types of oncology

In Russia, among the male population, the first three places by type of cancer are:

• malignant neoplasms of the lungs;
• prostate tumors;
• skin oncology.

Lung cancer is most often caused by bronchial epithelial cells. The tumor grows quite slowly. For several years a person has no idea that such a terrible disease has taken possession of his body. Therefore, these types of cancer have a high mortality rate among patients: by the time of diagnosis, the disease is very advanced. This oncology is also dangerous because it is prone to rapid growth metastases. Cigarette lovers are at risk. They are advised to have their lungs examined for the disease every three years.

Prostate cancer usually develops in men who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Poor nutrition also contributes to the onset of the disease. Men over 50 years of age are at risk. They are recommended to have their prostate examined at least every two years.

Excessive sun exposure causes skin cancer. Cigarette smoke also has carcinogenic properties. If strange spots and new growths of various types appear on the skin, you should consult a dermatologist.

For women, the picture looks like this:

• breast tumors;
• skin oncology;
• cancer of the cervix and uterine body.

Due to its prevalence, breast cancer has been studied quite well and is successfully treated. But only if the disease is not advanced. As a rule, a woman herself discovers a tumor. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the tumor is removed surgically. Special treatment is given to cancer cells that remain in the body after the tumor is removed. Almost all women over 40 are at risk. They need to undergo examinations at least once every two years.

Skin cancer, as a rule, develops in those who love to sunbathe excessively and in frequent visitors to solariums. You need to monitor your skin and visit a doctor if there is the slightest change. Like breast cancer, tumors of the cervix and uterine body have been studied well and are successfully treated. It is detected during gynecological examinations, which women should attend at least once a year.

Different types of cancer determine different treatment methods. There are many medical drugs, and scientists are working on producing more and more new ones.

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How to recognize and treat breast cancer?

Today, a very pressing issue is cancer treatment. Before considering it, it is important to know what types of cancer exist and which one is the most dangerous for health and life.

Cancer. General information

Cancer is a serious malignant disease that develops from healthy epithelial cells and can affect any organ or system of the human body. To this day, the reasons for the growth of pathological cells have not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the more we are aware of the facts known to modern medicine, the easier it is to avoid this or find the right way out.

There is a theory that the appearance of cancer is associated with mutation of body tissues. But this has not been proven, like other versions.

Causes of occurrence. Types of cancer

Having information about the causes can protect everyone who is at risk for some reason. Here are some common reasons that explain the nature of the appearance of foreign cells in a healthy body:

• air pollution;
• genetic abnormalities;
• nicotine use;
• inflammatory processes in the chronic stage;
• viruses and infections;
• alcoholism;
• carcinogens, which are now used in almost everything, and whose effects cannot be avoided.

What types of cancer are there? There are several varieties:

• carcinoma is the most common type of cancer that affects the esophagus, prostate, and mammary glands;
• leukemia - cancer that is localized in the bone marrow, but metastasizes throughout the body;
• Sarcoma is a cancer that arises from cells of the lymphatic system.

Blood cancer. Dangerous view

Blood cancer is also called hemoblastosis. This is a group of diseases of the circulatory system. Among them there are particularly dangerous types of blood cancer, such as leukemia, hematosarcoma, lymphoma, angioma, chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute monoblastic leukemia and others.

Leukemia is manifested by impaired differentiation and proliferation of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. With this pathology, a large number of cancer cells accumulate in the body, which are not responsible for any function, but only slowly poison the body. Leukemia most often affects older people or children under 4 years of age.

Genital cancer. Uterine cancer

Tumors of the genital organs are malignant formations that can affect external and internal organs.

Uterine cancer is common among women. Types of uterine cancer affect women from 55 to 70 years of age, but exceptions often occur when very young women are examined and given a terrible diagnosis - endometrial cancer. There is a hormonal type and an autonomous one.

• Hormonal cancer is a “younger” cancer that occurs in women under 40 years of age who, at a young age, suffered from problems with conception, diabetes, hyperglycemia and other problems.
• Autonomous is observed in older women. Such patients have a reduced sensitivity to hormones and the absence of metabolic disorders of the endocrine system.

Gastrointestinal cancer

Tumors of the stomach and intestines are a very common disease. The following types of stomach and gastrointestinal cancer are known:

• polypoid - makes up about 6% of all types, and its effect is that the cancer eats away the walls of the stomach. Pathological areas affected by cancer stand out clearly against the background of healthy tissue;
• carcinoma, cancer-ulcer or ulcerative - accounts for about 36%, clear edges are visible, but practically does not differ from a stomach ulcer;
• partial carcinoma - has no clear edges, protrudes above the level of healthy tissue and affects large areas of the stomach;
• infiltrative cancer - develops inside the walls of the stomach, difficult to diagnose;
• adenocarcinoma - starts from the cells of the mucous membrane, or more precisely, the glandular epithelium.

And also some types of intestinal cancer:

Types of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract can metastasize, but with timely contact with an oncologist, effective treatment can be carried out.

Lung cancer. The most dangerous type of cancer

Lung cancer is a malignant neoplasm that appears from the epithelium of the bronchi. Experts, having found out what types of cancer there are and studying their pathogenesis, determined that a lung tumor is the most life-threatening cancer.

• central - the main bronchi are affected;
• peripheral - the tumor grows from the alveoli and small bronchi;
• mediastinal - characterized by the rapid appearance of metastases in the lymph nodes;
• disseminated form - a large number of foci of growth of pathological cells are formed in the lung tissue;
• sarcoma;
• trachea cancer;
• low differentiated. This type of lung cancer is one of the most dangerous.

What are the causes of this terrible pathology? Smoking primarily influences the occurrence of lung tumors. It doesn't matter whether it's active or passive smoking. The very fact of inhaling carcinogens is the main cause of cancer development. The next factor that can cause these types of cancer is contact with poisons such as nickel, cadmium, and arsenic.

Heredity also plays a role in the occurrence of a tumor, along with factors such as radiation exposure, poor ecology, chronic pulmonary diseases and others.

Breast cancer

What types of cancer do women have? Most often in women, the mammary glands are affected. This disease leads the list of the most dangerous and common pathologies. Mostly women between 40 and 60 years old suffer from breast tumors, but the disease is rapidly becoming younger, and types of breast cancer are already being identified that affect young girls.

Most tumors that are detected by a mammologist or women themselves can be classified as benign. These are galactocele, fibrocystic mastopathy and fibroadenoma of the gland. Such types of disease, cancer diagnosed in the optimal time, are promptly identified by oncologists, and treatment is carried out, possibly even removal of the mammary glands in order to avoid a repeat process.

What are the reasons for the development of pathological cell growth in the mammary gland:

• abnormalities in the development of the mammary gland;
• alcoholism, smoking and other bad habits are an important risk factor, if we also take into account the woman’s genetic predisposition;
• poor environment, polluted air and poor quality drinking water;
• late birth can also become a trigger at the beginning of the development of pathology;
• long-term use of hormonal drugs and others.

If breast cancer is contacted in a timely manner, it can be treated with the possibility of preventing recurrence.

Symptoms of cancer

The problem is that in the initial stages of development, cancer does not make itself felt, and only early diagnosis will help determine the presence and severity of the pathological process.

Symptoms of cancer are:

• rapid weight loss;
• elevated body temperature for a long time;
• a state of apathy and constant fatigue for no reason;
• the color, shape, size of birthmarks or moles may change;
• ulcers appear in the mouth;
• Painful sensations increase over time.

In addition to the main symptoms, there are also specific ones. Prolonged wound healing may indicate changes in cells in the body, loss of their function - cancer processes. Unusual discharge or bleeding, as well as problems urinating, may indicate the presence of cancer cells in the body.

Diagnosis of cancer types

Today there are many unresolved questions that oncology poses. Cancers mutate and become invulnerable. For quality treatment, it is necessary to correctly diagnose the disease.

For these purposes, ultrasound therapy, computed tomography, mammography (to identify types of breast cancer), endoscopic method for diagnosing tumors in the stomach, esophagus and intestines, magnetic resonance imaging, radioisotope diagnostics and others are used.

Read more about X-ray examination - the main method for diagnosing cancer.

Radiography is used at the slightest suspicion of pathological processes in cells. Using this method, you can examine the lungs, colon, stomach, and bones. Recently, special methods have begun to be used - bronchography, angiography, which significantly increase the likelihood of detecting cancer processes.

Treatment of cancer

For many years now, there has been active discussion and research into drugs for the treatment of cancer. But, unfortunately, medicine has not yet found the only way to cure such patients. Therefore, after detection of cancerous processes, complex treatment is carried out using radiation therapy, chemotherapy drugs and surgical methods.

• Radiation therapy for cancer patients: the principle of this treatment is the increased sensitivity of pathological cells to ionizing radiation. After this procedure, a mutation occurs in the diseased cells and they die. Therapy is not indicated for children, since their cells are still in the developmental stage and are most susceptible to radiation. Some types of lung cancer are successfully treated after the procedure.
• Chemotherapeutic effects on cancer cells are very aggressive, and the procedure is indicated only in advanced stages, if other types of cancer treatment do not help. The dose is selected depending on the patient’s weight, type of tumor, its position and the patient’s condition. Different drugs are combined to maximize the effect on tumor cells.
• Surgical treatment is often resorted to, as it is the most effective and reliable method. Treatment consists of removing the source of pathology. But the surgical method will be ineffective if metastases have already appeared in the body.

The most severe and dangerous types of cancer, such as lung cancer, cannot always be cured. In this case, supportive therapy is used, but the chances that the patient will survive are very low.

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Types of cancer

Posted By: admin 04/22/2016

A malignant tumor (cancer) is a tumor that has negative properties and poses a great danger to both human health and life (this feature became the basis for its name). The tumor itself consists of malignant cells.

A malignant neoplasm is a pathology that occurs in the form of uncontrolled division of cells that have the ability to penetrate neighboring tissues and metastasize to almost all human organs.

Today, cancer processes pose a great threat to people's lives, since the incidence rate is very high, and treatment methods have not been thoroughly developed.

General information about cancer

Malignant tumors tend to develop as a result of mutations in normal cells of the body. In some cases, they succumb to uncontrolled division and lose the ability to undergo programmed cell death. In normal physiology, each cell should disintegrate into individual apoptotic bodies bounded by the plasma membrane. In most people, the immune system is not able to detect the presence of such transformations in time, which leads to tumor growth and the onset of metastasis. Metastasis from altered cells can penetrate into any organs or tissues.

Malignant tumors have their own classification. It distinguishes them by the affected organ and the type of cells that have undergone transformation. The field of medicine that studies all types of cancer is called oncology.

Types of malignant tumors (cancer)

Carcinoma

Carcinoma (cancer itself) is a malignant formation that originates from epithelial tissue cells; it can form on different organs where this tissue is present. Carcinoma is a very dangerous disease, since its mortality rate is in second place (after pathologies of the cardiovascular system). In women, in most cases, carcinoma affects the mammary glands, cervix, lungs, and stomach. In men, the prostate, liver, esophagus, lungs.

Today, the effectiveness of treatment for this is quite high. The best treatment is considered to be therapy in the initial stages of the disease; the location of formation also plays an important role. The longer it takes to develop, the less likely it is to be cured.

Symptoms: Signs indicating the presence of carcinoma can vary, depending on the location of the tumor and its size.

• As the tumor grows, there is an increase in swelling at the site of its location;
• Increased bleeding;
• Severe pain;
• Dysfunction of the affected organ;
• Poor appetite;
• Weight loss and weakness.

Diagnosis: timely detection of carcinoma increases the chances of cure. Today, doctors use many methods for diagnosing cancer.

• Routine medical examinations for men and women every year, which include cancer examinations (especially after 40 years), fluorography of the lungs and others;
• Palpation of unknown neoplasms on the skin, examination of some organs (palpation of the mammary glands in women, by a mammologist);
• Endoscopic instrumental studies;
• Having blood tests, especially for squamous cell carcinoma antigen;
• Modern methods diagnostics of the whole body MRI, CT, X-ray with contrasts;
• Histological examination after tumor biopsy.

Treatment: Once diagnosed, carcinoma is treated differently and is always unpredictable. It is not known exactly what the exact prognosis for the end of the disease is, but big role has a stage of development of the process. Modern treatments include:

• Surgical excision of the tumor. In some cases they produce complete removal affected organ and regional lymph nodes;
• Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that have a detrimental effect on cancer cells and can slow down tumor growth;
• Radiation therapy is used to treat undiagnosed lesions and is performed before surgery;
• Immunotherapy – increasing resistance special types vaccines, as a result of which cancer becomes a target for the body;
• Neutron therapy is the latest technique for combating carcinoma, which uses neutron irradiation of the tumor;
• Gene therapy – influence on cell division.

Combination treatment methods have a good effect, when doctors simultaneously use several of the above methods.

Prevention: There is no exact cause of carcinoma, which means it is impossible to determine preventive measures. But oncologists strongly recommend undergoing routine medical examinations every year. Special attention should be given to the mammary glands of women, they should be familiar with self-examination methods.

Melanoma

Melanoma is a dangerous type of cancer that arises from mutated melanocytes (pigment cells in the skin). Melanoma is characterized by rapid rates of metastasis and high level complications and mortality. It is not difficult to identify melanoma, because it forms on open skin. In some cases, the eyes, nails, feet, and oral mucosa may be affected.

• Long exposure to sunlight. The effect of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, or solarium.
• Moles. All moles on the human body are divided into normal and atypical (those that have an asymmetrical shape and rise above the surface of the skin).
• People with delicate skin (especially albinos) are considered to be at increased risk for melanoma.
• Anamnesis. A history of any skin cancer, even after remission, increases the risk of cancer recurring.
• Weak immune system.

Genetic predisposition plays a major role in the occurrence of melanoma, like any other type of cancer. According to statistics, 10% of patients diagnosed with skin cancer had people in their family with the same problem. This feature increases the risk of developing pathology by 50%.

Symptoms: Melanoma has the ability to grow from moles present on the skin, in some cases the process occurs on clean skin. Most often it is localized on the legs and back, occasionally on other areas of the body.

The main signs of melanoma growth are considered to be visual changes in the size, shape and color of existing moles or birthmarks, accompanied by unpleasant sensations in these places. If a new mole becomes noticeable on the body, which quickly grows and has an abnormal appearance, it should be shown to specialists, as there is a high probability that melanoma is developing on the skin.

In more advanced stages, the tumor on the skin begins to itch, crust over, secrete various exudates, and new dark spots appear around the main focus. Then all this changes to pain, bleeding, destruction of the skin. Ultimately, melanoma metastasizes throughout the body, and the formation of a cancerous process in other organs and tissues is inevitable.

At the same time, the general condition changes dramatically, the patient rapidly loses weight, becomes exhausted, and convulsive seizures are possible.

Diagnosis: Diagnosing melanoma can be very difficult, even for an experienced dermatologist. Due to the fact that characteristic symptoms of skin cancer do not always appear, doctors recommend paying attention to the presence of moles, and at the first suspicious changes, immediately inform specialists (especially if there have already been cases of this type of cancer in your family).

Except visual inspection, the doctor may prescribe a skin biopsy and a biopsy of the lymph nodes. The final diagnosis can be made only on the basis of histological examination of material taken from the pathological formation.

Early diagnosis has great value in the prognosis of treatment, and therefore people are recommended to undergo regular examinations. For self-examination, you need to have some fairly simple things (lamp, 2 mirrors, two chairs, hair dryer).

• Using mirrors it is convenient to examine the face and back of the head. To check the scalp, you can use a hair dryer.
• After the head, hands and nails are examined, elbows and armpits are checked in the mirrors.
• Next you should check the skin of the neck, chest and torso. For women, it is necessary to check the skin under the breasts.
• Using mirrors, examine your back, buttocks, shoulders and legs.
• Finally, you should check your legs and genitals.

Treatment: carried out using one of two methods - surgical and combined.

The combined method is the most successful, since the combination of timely irradiation allows the tumor to be removed under more ablastic conditions. To begin with, the area of ​​skin affected by cancer is subjected to close-focus radiotherapy, after which surgeons excise the tumor, capturing 4 centimeters of healthy skin around the lesion, as well as subcutaneous tissue and fascia. The formed crater in the skin is sutured with a thin suture or closed using skin grafting.

A negative feature of melanoma is its ability to quickly metastasize to nearby lymph nodes. If their increase is detected, they must be completely removed.

Sarcoma

Sarcoma is another type of malignant tumor that arises from connective tissue cells. In the human body, all organs have connective tissue in their structure, so sarcoma can be localized anywhere. According to statistics, only 5% of cancer diagnoses are made in favor of sarcoma, which has a high mortality rate. Another feature of this type of cancer is that it occurs in young people (more than 40% of patients are under 30 years of age).

• Heredity;
• Development from precancerous diseases;
• Poisoning of the body with carcinogens;
• Foreign bodies in the body;
• Mechanical damage to connective tissue;
• Hormone imbalance in women during puberty.

Symptoms: very often, sarcoma begins to manifest itself in the form of a growing formation. With bone sarcoma, the patient complains of night pain in the area of ​​the affected bone, which cannot be anesthetized with drugs. Due to the fact that the tumor is constantly growing, the clinical picture is filled with additional symptoms. When the tumor compresses or grows into blood vessels, the venous network increases; when it affects the nerve trunks, pain begins to occur along the affected nerve.

Diagnostics: for timely detection and correct diagnosis, it is necessary to use a whole range of diagnostic procedures:

• Physical examination and history taking;
• Laboratory research;
• Ultrasound, radiography, MRI, Doppler angiography, etc.;
• Biopsy of affected tissue.

Treatment: most best method treatment of the disease is surgery. If it is located successfully, then removal of the tumor does not affect the normal functions of the body and treatment will not lead to disability. Although quite often there are situations when, after removal of a sarcoma, malignant growth begins in the lungs. In addition to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation may be prescribed, which can be used both before and after surgery.

The combination of several treatment methods is considered the most successful, but more dangerous way to overcome cancer.

Leukemia

Leukemia (leukemia, blood cancer) is a malignant pathology of the hematopoietic system. The disease begins in the bone marrow, which is responsible for the production of blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). When a cell succumbs to mutation at any phase of its development, it acquires the properties of cancer, while it does not perform its usual functions and begins uncontrolled division. For the development of blood cancer, just one mutated cell in the blood is enough.

Reasons: the following factors can influence the development of leukemia:

• Genetic predisposition - if there were relatives in the family affected by any type of cancer, then the risk of leukemia increases significantly. This contingent is advised to be examined twice as often (especially women);
• Exposure to ionizing radiation – operating conditions that are directly related to exposure. Direct evidence that radiation affects the development of leukemia can be considered atomic explosions at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and in Japan, which resulted in a sharp increase in patients diagnosed with blood cancer.
• Taking carcinogens is taking certain medications that affect the blood-forming organs.
• Viruses – some viruses are capable of inserting themselves into human DNA and causing mutations in the body’s cells.
• Nutrition – modern food manufacturers use a lot of chemical preservatives and dyes, the effects of which are carcinogenic.

Symptoms: the clinical picture of leukemia is not clear, it is impossible to independently determine its presence, but if a person has several symptoms described below, it is worth consulting a specialist:

• Chronic weakness;
• Weight loss and lack of appetite;
• Bleeding and swelling of the gums;
• Pain in joints and bones.
• Symptoms of colds;
• Reduced resistance, which threatens the occurrence of infections;
• Red spots under the skin;
• Increased sweating, especially during sleep.

Diagnostics: to diagnose blood cancer, it is necessary to donate blood for general and biochemical tests. Also, for a more clear study, a bone marrow biopsy is taken.

Treatment: it is necessary to begin treatment for leukemia immediately after diagnosing cancer, because it has the ability to develop rapidly. In the case of blood cancer, treatment consists of chemotherapy, which is aimed at destroying cancerous blood cells. Taking into account the general condition and severity of the disease in the patient, apply additional measures in the form of blood transfusion, reduction of intoxication and prevention of infectious complications.