17TH ONLINE PRESENTATION AND DIALOGUE OF TODAY'S LEADER FORUM (2018) FOCUS ON MOMENT LIKE THIS, SITUATION LIKE THIS, IN A COUNTRY LIKE THIS ON "CANCER ;CAUSES AND CURE"- DR. ADEYEMI A. A(CLINICAL PATHOLOGIST)

BEING AN ONLINE LECTURE DELIVERED IN COMMEMORATION OF 17TH ONLINE PRESENTATION AND DIALOGUE OF TODAY'S LEADER FORUM (2018)

THEME ;MOMENT LIKE THIS, SITUATION LIKE THIS, IN A COUNTRY LIKE THIS.

TOPIC : CANCER ;CAUSES AND CURE

SPEAKER : DR. ADEYEMI A. A(CLINICAL PATHOLOGIST)

When people hear the word of Cancer what comes to their mind is Wow Dead, while some people don't even know the meaning few knew about the word of *Breast  cancer* which are common among women.
Now let go.

What is Cancer ?

Cancer : May be refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue.

Cancer, can also called malignancy, which is an abnormal growth of cells.

There are more than 100 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma.

Cancer often has the ability to spread throughout your body. Symptoms vary depending on the type of the cancer.

Cancer has been recognized for thousands of years as a human ailment, yet only in the past century has medical science understood what cancer really is and how it progresses.
Cancer specialists, called oncologists, they have made remarkable advances in cancer diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
Today, more people diagnosed with cancer are living longer.
However, some forms of the disease remain frustratingly difficult to treat. Modern treatment can significantly improve quality of life and may extend survival.

What are the signs and symptoms of cancer

Signs and symptoms caused by cancer varies and depending on what part of the body is affected.

These are some general signs and symptoms associated with cancer, but not specific to, cancer,  which include:
1) Fatigue (unexplained tiredness)

2) Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin.

3) Weight changes, including unintended loss or gain.

4) Skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, or changes to existing moles.

5) Changes in bowel or bladder habits.

6) Persistent cough or trouble breathing.

7) Difficulty swallowing.

8) Hoarseness or persistent cough.

9) Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating.

10) Persistent, unexplained muscle or joint pain.

11) Persistent, unexplained fevers or night sweats.

12) Unexplained bleeding or  bruising (which including bleeding from vagina, blood in urine or blood in feaces)

13) Abnormal pains.

What are the risk factors of cancer ?

The factors known to increase your risk of cancer are;

1) Your age
Cancer can take decades to develop. That's why most people diagnosed with cancer are 65 or older. While it's more common in older adults either male or female, cancer isn't exclusively an adult disease and cancer can be diagnosed at any age.

2) Your habits
Certain lifestyle choices are known to increase your risk of cancer. Especially in young Adult of nowadays (Youths).
Smoking, drinking more than one alcoholic drink a day (for women of all ages and men older than age 65) or two drinks a day (for men age 65 and younger), excessive exposure to the sun or frequent blistering sunburns, being obese,  and having unsafe sex can contribute to cancer.

You can change these habits to lower your risk of cancer though we have different mind set and inner strength to  change some habits than others.

3) Your family history
Only a small portion of cancers are due to an inherited condition.
If cancer is common in your family, it's possible that mutations are being passed from one generation to the next. You might be a candidate for genetic testing to see whether you have inherited mutations that might increase your risk of certain cancers. Keep in mind that having an inherited genetic mutation doesn't necessarily mean you'll get cancer. (don't get me wrong here)

4) Your health conditions
Some chronic health conditions, such as ulcerative colitis, can markedly increase your risk of developing certain cancers.

5) Your environment (Environmental factor)
The environment around you may contain harmful chemicals that can increase your risk of cancer. For instance those  that are living nearby Cement plant (we all know some places like that in Nigeria), Refinery plant e.t.c

Even if you don't smoke, you might inhale secondhand smoke if you go where people are smoking or if you live with someone who smokes (To those of us youth that has smokers as friend).
Chemicals in your home or workplace, such as asbestos and benzene, also are associated with an increased risk of cancer.

What are the causes if cancer ?

Cancer is caused by changes (mutations) to the DNA within cells.

The DNA inside a cell is packaged into a large number of individual genes, each of which contains a set of instructions telling the cell what functions to perform, as well as how to grow and divide. Errors in the instructions can cause the cell to stop its normal function and may allow a cell to become cancerous.

What do gene mutations do?

A gene mutation can instruct a healthy cell to:

1) Allow rapid growth. A gene mutation can tell a cell to grow and divide more rapidly. This creates many new cells that all have that same mutation.

2) Fail to stop uncontrolled cell growth. Normal cells know when to stop growing so that you have just the right number of each type of cell. Cancer cells lose the controls (tumor suppressor genes) that tell them when to stop growing. A mutation in a tumor suppressor gene allows cancer cells to continue growing and accumulating.

3) Make mistakes when repairing DNA errors. DNA repair genes look for errors in a cell's DNA and make corrections. A mutation in a DNA repair gene may mean that other errors aren't corrected, leading cells to become cancerous.

These mutations are the most common ones found in cancer. But many other gene mutations can contribute to causing cancer.

What are the ways of prevention

As we all knows as one adage says Prevention is better than cure

I heard this from one of my Friend, though he is an old man even older than my father
He said_I ate poison but I had vomited it. Yes it is true but you can't compared yourself from the person that didn't eat the poison  at all_

There's no certain way to prevent cancer. But there are several ways of reducing your cancer risk, such as:

1) Stop smoking:
If you smoke, quit. If you don't smoke, don't start. Smoking is linked to several types of cancer  not just lung cancer. Stopping now will reduce your risk of cancer in the future.

2) Avoid excessive sun exposure:
Harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can increase your risk of skin cancer. Limit your sun exposure by staying in the shade, wearing protective clothing or applying sunscreen, if u must go out under sun use umbrella.

3) Eat a healthy diet:
Choose a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Select whole grains and lean proteins. (Though we all know economic of our nation even it is general worldwide but just that some are bit different from others but that doesn't give us the chance of taking care if ourselves, even if it is just a small food eat good one)

4) Exercise most days of the week:
Regular exercise is linked to a lower risk of cancer. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. If you haven't been exercising regularly, start out slowly and work your way up to 30 minutes or longer. This can be start from ur room, ur compound or ur street

5) Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight or obese may increase your risk of cancer. Work to achieve and maintain a healthy weight through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Drink alcohol in moderation, if you choose to drink. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit yourself to one drink a day if you're a woman of any age or a man older than age 65, or two drinks a day if you're a man 65 years old or younger.

6) Schedule cancer screening exams:
Talk to your doctor about what types of cancer screening exams are best for you based on your risk factors.

7)Ask your doctor about immunizations:
Certain viruses increase your risk of cancer. Immunizations may help prevent those viruses, including
hepatitis B, which increases the risk of liver cancer, and human papillomavirus (HPV), which increases the risk of cervical cancer and other cancers.

What are the  complications ?

Cancer and its treatment can cause several complications, which includes:

1) Pain:
Pain can be caused by cancer or by cancer treatment, though not all cancer is painful.
Medications and other approaches can effectively treat cancer_related pain.

2) Fatigue:
Fatigue in people with cancer has many causes, but it can often be managed. Fatigue associated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy treatments is common, but it's usually temporary.

3) Difficulty breathing: Cancer or cancer treatment may cause a feeling of being short of breath. Treatments may bring relief.

4) Nausea:
Certain cancers and cancer treatments can cause nausea.  Doctor can sometimes predict if the treatment is likely to cause nausea. Medications and other treatments may help you prevent or decrease nausea.

5) Diarrhea or constipation:
Cancer and cancer treatment can affect your bowels and cause diarrhea or constipation.

6) Weight loss:
Cancer and cancer treatment may cause weight loss. Cancer steals food from normal cells and deprives them of nutrients. This is often not affected by how many calories or what kind of food is eaten; it's difficult to treat. In most cases, using artificial nutrition through tubes into the stomach or vein does not help change the weight loss.

7) Chemical changes in your body:
Cancer can upset the normal chemical balance in your body and increase your risk of serious complications.

Signs and symptoms of chemical imbalances might include;
• excessive thirst
• frequent urination
• constipation and
• confusion.

8) Brain and nervous system problems:
Cancer can press on nearby nerves and cause pain and loss of function of one part of your body. Cancer that involves the brain can cause headaches and stroke like signs and symptoms, such as; weakness on one side of your body.

9) Unusual immune system reactions to cancer:
In some cases the body's immune system may react to the presence of cancer by attacking healthy cells. Called paraneoplastic syndrome, these very rare reactions can lead to a variety of signs and symptoms, such as difficulty walking and seizures.

10) Cancer that spreads:
As cancer advances, it may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Where cancer spreads depends on the type of cancer.

11) Cancer that returns:
Cancer survivors have a risk of cancer recurrence. Some cancers are more likely to recur than others.
You can ask doctor about what you can do to reduce your risk of cancer recurrence. Doctor may devise a follow-up care plan for you after treatment. This plan may include periodic scans and exams in the months and years after your treatment, to look for cancer recurrence.

What are the treatment of cancer ?

Many cancer treatments are available. Your treatment options will depend on several factors, such as the type and stage of your cancer  ( there are 4  stages of cancer I to IV), your general health, and your preferences. Together you and your doctor can weigh the benefits and risks of each cancer treatment to determine which is best for you.

Note: Doctor can't just bang on the treatment like that, the treatment have different objectives.

1) Cure:
The goal of treatment is to achieve a cure for your cancer, allowing you to live a normal life span. This may or may not be possible, depending on your specific situation.

2) Primary treatment:
The goal of a primary treatment is to completely remove the cancer from your body or kill the cancer cells.

Any cancer treatment can be used as a primary treatment, but the most common primary cancer treatment for the most common cancers is surgery. If your cancer is particularly sensitive to radiation therapy or chemotherapy, you may receive one of those therapies as your primary treatment.

3) Adjuvant treatment:
The goal of adjuvant therapy is to kill any cancer cells that may remain after primary treatment in order to reduce the chance that the cancer will recur.
Any cancer treatment can be used as an adjuvant therapy. Common adjuvant therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. (Some people familiar with Chemotherapy).

4) Palliative treatment:
Palliative treatments may help relieve side effects of treatment or signs and symptoms caused by cancer itself. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy can all be used to relieve signs and symptoms. Medications may relieve symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath.
Cancer diagnosis

Diagnosing cancer at its earliest stages often provides the best chance for a cure. With this in mind, talk with your doctor about what types of cancer screening may be appropriate for you or the doctor can give you an Advise on which one you can go for at first.

1) Physical exam:
Doctor may feel areas of your body for lumps that may indicate a tumor. During a physical exam, he or she may look for abnormalities, such as changes in skin color or enlargement of an organ, that may indicate the presence of cancer.

2) Laboratory tests:
Laboratory tests, *such as urine and blood tests,* may help doctor identify abnormalities that can be caused by cancer. For instance, in people with leukemia, a common blood test called complete blood count (CBC) may reveal an unusual number or type of white blood cells.

3) *Imaging tests:*
Imaging tests allow your doctor to examine your bones and internal organs in a noninvasive way. Imaging tests used in diagnosing cancer may include a computerized tomography (CT) scan, bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, ultrasound and X-ray, among others.

4) *Biopsy:*
During a biopsy, doctor will collects a sample of cells for testing in the laboratory. There are several ways of collecting a sample. Which biopsy procedure is right for you depends on your type of cancer and its location. In most cases, a biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose cancer.

In the laboratory, doctors look at cell samples under the microscope. *Normal cells look uniform, with similar sizes and orderly organization.* Cancer cells look less orderly, with varying sizes and without apparent organization.
*Hmm, after all these may be you have know or you have s friend suffering from any type of cancer don't stay away from such person just give him/her this*

*Coping and support for Cancer*

A cancer diagnosis can change your life forever. Each person finds his or her own way of coping with the emotional and physical changes cancer brings. But when you're first diagnosed with cancer, sometimes it's difficult to know what to do next or tell the person.

*Here are some ideas to help:*

1) *Learn enough about cancer to make decisions about your care*

2) *Find someone to talk with*

3) *Keep family and friends close*

4) *Don't forget your appointment date/day*

5) *And Finally be prayerful, move closer to your God*

Now let go straight to *Treatment*

Cancer treatment options include:

1) *Surgery:*
The goal of surgery is to remove the cancer or as much of the cancer as possible.

2) *Chemotherapy:*
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.

3) *Radiation therapy:*
Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells. Radiation treatment can come from a machine outside your body (external beam radiation), or it can be placed inside your body (brachytherapy).

4) *Stem cell transplant:*
Stem cell transplant is also known as bone marrow transplant. Your bone marrow is the material inside your bones that makes blood cells from blood stem cells. A stem cell transplant can use your own stem cells or stem cells from a donor.

A stem cell transplant allows your doctor to use higher doses of chemotherapy to treat your cancer. It may also be used to replace diseased bone marrow.

5) *Immunotherapy:*
Immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy, uses your body's immune system to fight cancer. Cancer can survive unchecked in your body because your immune system doesn't recognize it as an intruder. Immunotherapy can help your immune system "see" the cancer and attack it.

6) *Hormone therapy:*
Some types of cancer are fueled by your body's hormones. *Examples include breast cancer and prostate cancer.* Removing those hormones from the body or blocking their effects may cause the cancer cells to stop growing.

7) *Targeted drug therapy:*
Targeted drug treatment focuses on specific abnormalities within cancer cells that allow them to survive.

8) *And finally Clinical trials:*
Clinical trials are studies to investigate new ways of treating cancer. Thousands of cancer clinical trials are underway which is yet to approved.

The terms tumor and cancer are sometimes used interchangeably which can be misleading.

A tumor is not necessarily a cancer.
*The word tumor simply refers to a mass.* For example, a collection of fluid would meet the definition of a tumor.

A cancer is a particularly threatening type of tumor. It is helpful to keep these distinctions clear.

Smile.

Why will u be comparing HIV with Cancer ?

No they are not path at all.

Someone can live longer life with HIV if it hasn't reach AIDS stage.

While Cancer patient can't live longer as HIV patient.

So to simplify the story

Cancer is deadly than HIV.

The issue with HIV case it that it is easily to contact.
Leukemia is a group of cancers that's usually begins in the bone marrow which resulting from excessive of abnormal white blood cells.
*Cancer of the blood also know as Heamological cancer*

There are four common blood cancer.

1) *Leukemia:* Cancer that originates in blood forming tissue.

2) *Non-Hodgkin lymphoma:* Cancer that develops in the lymphatic system from cells called lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infections.

3) *Hodgkin lymphoma:* Cancer that develops in the lymphatic system from cells called lymphocytes. Hodgkin lymphoma is marked by the presence of an abnormal lymphocyte called the Reed Sternberg cell (or B lymphocyte).

4) *Multiple myeloma:* Cancer that begins in the blood's plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that is made in the bone marrow.

*Treatment*

1) *Stem cell transplantation*

2) *Chemotherapy*

3) *Radiation therapy*
*Here are some everyday foods and drinks that are labeled as carcinogenic:*

1) *Processed meats* such as bacon, sausages, hot dogs, pepperoni, prosciutto, beef jerky and salami (any meat that has been preserved by curing, salting or smoking, or by adding chemical preservatives)
*These kind of food common here white ppls land not really common in Africa, that is reason if you notice, you will be hearing it if not seen before that white people do have much Cancer.*

2) *Alcoholic beverages*

3) *Salted fish (Chinese style)*

4) *Burned or heavily barbecued foods*

5) *Red meat* which includes beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton &, horse (For those that like *Tinko meat*  *(For those that like Pork, you can search on it, pork comprises more than 50 different types of cancers)*

6) *Hot beverages above 65°C* (We should be letting our food cool before taking it for those that has developed habit if eating too much hot foods)

7) *Polluted air and water* (Many things are in air and such as Heavy metals which are dangerous to our health)

*Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women today.*

In Singapore almost every 1 in 16 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

Chinese women have a higher risk compared to Malay or Indian by about 10-20%.

*The highest incidence is in the 55 - 59 years age group.*  Rare in young ladies.

The risk of breast cancer increases with age. The good news is that more women are surviving the disease as a result of earlier detection and improved treatment.

*Warning Signs of Breast Cancer*

1) painless lump in the breast.

2) persistent itch & rash around the nipple

3) bleeding or unusual discharge from the nipple

4) skin over the breast is swollen and thickened

5) skin over the breast is dimpled or puckered

6) nipple is pulled in or retracted
*These are the guidelines on breast screening*

1) *39 Years and below*
monthly breast self examination.

====================
2) *40 to 49 Years*
monthly breast self examination and annual screening mammography

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3) *50 Years and above*
monthly breast self examination and
two yearly screening mammography.

So for us that still has mom, I will encourage us to take our mother to hospital for proper check up, because this is what is happening to some mom at home but due to lack of knowledge our be loving mom is dying gradually.

For us that has wife or girlfriend, taking her to hospital for proper check up is signs of *Real Love to show her

Thanks for reading to the last bit.