Cancer, also known as malignant tumor, is caused by malignant cell proliferation and is invasive and metastatic. The main classifications include carcinoma, sarcoma, and carcinosarcoma. The cause of cancer is usually due to the long-term combined effects of chemical, physical, viral, and other factors on the body, which triggers a series of abnormal genetic changes. The incidence of cancer is higher in high-risk groups such as those with a family history of cancer and cancer-related diseases, and people over 40 years old need to be more vigilant.
The clinical symptoms of cancer are related to factors such as the site of onset, size of the lesion, and whether it has metastasized. There may be no obvious symptoms in the early stages. As the lesion progresses, local symptoms such as lumps, pain, bleeding, and obstruction may appear, as well as systemic symptoms such as fever, fatigue, anemia, and weight loss.
Common treatments for cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc., and when necessary, targeted therapy, biological therapy, etc. The prognosis after treatment depends on factors such as the type and stage of cancer and the patient’s general health. Cancer prevention mainly relies on a healthy lifestyle, such as a balanced diet, active exercise, avoidance of tobacco and excessive drinking, and regular check-ups.
| Medicine Disease Name | Department | High Incidence Group | Common Causes | Common Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Oncology | People with irregular lifestyle, smoking, and drinking | Not yet fully understood | Local symptoms such as lumps, pain, ulcers, bleeding, and obstruction |
Common Symptoms
Causes
Cancer is a genetic disease caused by the long-term combined effects of multiple factors. When the body is affected by chemical, physical, viral, and other carcinogens in the environment, and/or by its own genetic, endocrine, gender, age, and other factors, a series of genetic abnormalities may occur, forming malignant tumors.
Pathogenesis
The body is affected by the combined effects of multiple factors, causing abnormal genetic changes, including activation of oncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, and accumulation of multiple genetic abnormalities, ultimately leading to cancer.
Oncogene Activation
Under the influence of environmental or genetic factors, proto-oncogenes change their own structure and transform into oncogenes, causing normal cells to transform into tumor cells.
Tumor Suppressor Gene Inactivation
Under normal circumstances, tumor suppressor genes have the function of inhibiting tumor occurrence. If the gene is inactivated, the inhibitory effect on tumors decreases or is lost, and cells undergo malignant transformation and form tumors.
Accumulation of Multiple Genetic Abnormalities
A single gene abnormality cannot completely transform cells into malignant ones. The accumulated effects of multiple oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene inactivation eventually lead to the occurrence of malignant tumors.
Causative Factors
It is mainly related to chemical substances, physical factors, viruses, and genetic factors.
Chemical Material
Alkylating agents, acylating agents, nitrosamines, aromatic amines, epoxides, etc. are carcinogenic and can cause abnormal gene mutations. Croton oil, hormones, phenols, and other items will increase the effects of carcinogens.
Physical Factors
Radiation (mainly ionizing radiation and ultraviolet rays) is a clear carcinogen, while foreign body stimulation, trauma, chronic inflammation, etc. can promote the malignant process.
Virus
Some tumors are related to specific viral infections, such as hepatitis virus, human papilloma virus, Epstein-Barr virus, etc., which are closely related to liver cancer, cervical cancer, lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, etc.
Genetics
Some cancers are hereditary, such as familial adenomatous polyposis of the colon and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC).
Predisposing Factors
Bad habits such as smoking, drinking, and staying up late, as well as physiological factors such as gender, aging, and obesity, are also risk factors for certain cancers.
Symptoms
The clinical manifestations of cancer patients are related to factors such as the site of onset, size, presence or absence of metastasis, and development period. There are usually no significant symptoms in the early stages of the disease. As the disease progresses, local symptoms such as lumps, pain, bleeding, and obstruction, as well as systemic symptoms such as fever, fatigue, anemia, and weight loss may appear.
Local Symptoms
- Lump: It is often the first symptom of a superficial tumor. Deeper tumors are difficult to detect, grow fast, and are easy to metastasize. One or more large lumps may appear within a short period of time.
- Pain: Tumors destroy and invade local tissues or nerves due to growth and metastasis, causing pain of various natures and degrees, which is more obvious at night.
- Bleeding: Rapid enlargement of the tumor may cause rupture and bleeding. For example, lung cancer may present with blood in sputum and hemoptysis. Gastrointestinal cancer may present with vomiting blood, black stools, and bloody stools. Kidney cancer and bladder cancer may present with hematuria. Gynecological tumors may present with vaginal bleeding.
- Obstruction: It is related to the blockage of normal cavities by tumor enlargement, such as vomiting and difficulty in defecation caused by gastrointestinal cancer obstruction, and jaundice caused by limited bile excretion due to pancreatic head cancer.
Systemic Symptoms
- Fever: Low-grade fever is common and usually does not require treatment. Patients with typical lymphoma may have fever, night sweats, and weight loss.
- Fatigue: Tumor cells secrete abnormal cytokines, and patients may experience fatigue, which is often non-specific.
- Anemia: The patient suffers from anemia due to factors such as the tumor’s consumption of the body and tumor rupture and bleeding.
- Weight Loss: Due to the tumor consuming the patient’s physical fitness, insufficient nutritional intake, and concurrent infections, the patient’s weight continues to decrease and will become extremely emaciated in the late stages.
Examine
People with a family history of cancer or cancer-related diseases should be admitted to the hospital regularly for check-ups to detect early lesions; if a local lump is found, they should see a doctor as soon as possible to determine the nature of the lesion and receive treatment; those who have been confirmed to have cancer should be admitted to the hospital urgently for treatment if they experience sudden bleeding, severe pain, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms to avoid endangering their lives.
Department
The department visited for the first time is related to the onset symptoms. People who are diagnosed with cancer can go to the oncology department, surgery department, radiotherapy department, etc. according to their purpose.
Diagnose Based On
People with abnormal clinical symptoms should consider the possibility of cancer, especially those who find local masses. Laboratory and imaging examinations can assist in the diagnosis of cancer, but the final clarification of the type, stage, and other information of the cancer requires pathological examination.
Physical Examination
Observe whether the patient has local lumps and determine their location, boundaries, texture, color, pain, activity, etc. Ask the patient about the onset of illness, course of disease, family history, past medical history, living environment, personal habits, and other information.
Related Tests
Laboratory Tests
- Complete Blood Test: If the red blood cell and hemoglobin levels decrease, it indicates anemia, which needs to be corrected promptly; if the white blood cell level increases significantly, it indicates that the patient has a concurrent infection; if there are a large number of immature white blood cells in the blood, it may indicate leukemia.
- Stool Routine: Occult blood or blood in the stool may indicate a digestive tract tumor.
- Liver and Kidney Function: Tumors of the digestive system, such as the gallbladder, pancreas, liver, and gastrointestinal tract, are often accompanied by abnormal liver function; abnormal renal function often occurs in tumors of the kidney, bladder, ureter, and urinary tract.
- Specific Blood Test Items: Tumor marker examination is of great significance for the screening and follow-up of cancer patients. Commonly used indicators include alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigens (CA125, CA153, CA50, etc.), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), calcitonin (CT), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), etc.
Film Degree Exam
X-ray, ultrasound, radionuclide imaging, CT, MRI, and other technologies can be used to diagnose cancer. For example, X-ray mammography for breast cancer, ultrasound for gynecological cancer, CT for liver cancer and lung cancer, MRI for brain nerve tumors, and radionuclide imaging PET for metastasis. Appropriate examination methods can be selected under the guidance of doctors according to
the patient’s condition.
Endoscopy
It is mainly used for the diagnosis of digestive system tumors such as gastrointestinal tumors. Commonly used endoscopy includes gastroscopy, colonoscopy, enteroscopy, rectoscopy, etc. Patients need to fast for 8 hours before surgery. Check for blood coagulation disorders before surgery to avoid bleeding during surgery. Related anesthesia may be required during surgery, such as pharyngeal anesthesia, surface anesthesia, etc. Postoperative nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and other symptoms need to be closely observed.
Pathological Examination
- Cytology Examination: Take a small amount of cells for microscopic examination, which is usually suitable for tumors with a clear location and relatively easy material extraction, such as cervical tumors and digestive tract tumors.
- Histopathological Examination: Take tissue for examination. If the tumor has an exposed lesion, the biopsy can be performed directly. For patients with unclear tumor location or deep tissue, ultrasound or CT-guided biopsy can be used. For example, liver cancer is generally examined under ultrasound guidance, and lung cancer can be examined under CT guidance.
Molecular Diagnostic Testing
Detection methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry, gene sequencing, and whole-genome sequencing are used to examine specific genes, proteins, or other molecular substances in tumor tissues, providing information on tumor diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
Differential Diagnosis
Benign tumors, local hyperplasia, chronic inflammation, and other diseases have clinical symptoms similar to cancer, so they need to be distinguished to avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment.
Benign Tumor
Benign tumors such as uterine fibroids and thyroid adenomas are different from malignant tumors. They grow slowly and are well defined. After removal, they rarely recur and do not metastasize.
Local Hyperplasia
Hyperplastic tissues, such as breast hyperplasia and prostate hyperplasia, are proliferative changes in tissues. They have a certain mass and may cause local symptoms, but they are not malignant tumors and do not require radical surgery.
Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation of tissues such as chronic gastritis and chronic cholecystitis can cause changes in local tissue structure and function, leading to clinical symptoms similar to cancer, but they do not have the characteristics of malignant tumors.
Treatments
Surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are commonly used treatments for cancer patients, and targeted therapy, biological therapy, etc., are selected according to the type and stage of cancer. The prognosis of treatment depends on factors such as the type and stage of cancer, the patient’s general health, and the treatment measures. After treatment, attention should be paid to regular follow-up visits to monitor the patient’s condition.
Acute Treatment
- Emergency Care: For sudden bleeding, severe pain, difficulty breathing, and other emergencies, emergency treatment should be performed to stabilize the patient’s condition.
- Palliative Care: For patients who cannot tolerate surgery or advanced cancer, palliative care can be used to reduce the patient’s pain and improve the quality of life.
General Treatment
- Nutritional Support: Provide a balanced diet and nutritional supplements to enhance the patient’s physical fitness and support treatment and recovery.
- Pain Management: According to the patient’s pain level, painkillers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, etc., can be used to relieve pain.
Medical Treatment
- Chemotherapy: Use chemical drugs to kill tumor cells or inhibit their growth and division. Common chemotherapy drugs include cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, paclitaxel, etc. According to the patient’s condition, adjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, etc., can be selected. During chemotherapy, the patient’s blood cell count, liver and kidney function, and other indicators need to be closely monitored to prevent adverse reactions.
- Targeted Therapy: According to the characteristics of tumor cells, use drugs to target specific molecules, inhibiting the growth and metastasis of tumor cells. Commonly used targeted drugs include tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), monoclonal antibodies, etc. Targeted therapy is generally suitable for tumors with specific molecular markers, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, etc.
Surgical Treatment
- Tumor Resection: Remove the tumor and its surrounding tissues. According to the tumor’s location and size, different surgical methods can be selected, such as lumpectomy, lobectomy, etc.
- Lymph Node Dissection: For tumors with a high probability of lymph node metastasis, lymph node dissection can be performed to prevent tumor metastasis.
- Reconstructive Surgery: For patients with extensive tumor resection, reconstructive surgery can be performed to restore the appearance and function of the organs, such as breast reconstruction, facial reconstruction, etc.
Radiation Therapy
- External Radiation Therapy: Use high-energy rays to irradiate the tumor from the outside, killing tumor cells. According to the tumor’s location and size, different radiation sources and methods can be selected, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), etc.
- Internal Radiation Therapy: Place the radiation source inside or near the tumor, directly irradiating the tumor. Common methods include brachytherapy, radionuclide therapy, etc. During treatment, the patient’s radiation dose and response need to be closely monitored to prevent adverse reactions.
Chinese Treatment
- Herbal Therapy: According to the patient’s condition, select appropriate Chinese herbal medicine to regulate the body’s internal balance, enhance the body’s immunity, and inhibit tumor growth.
- Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Use acupuncture and moxibustion techniques to stimulate the body’s meridians and acupuncture points, regulating the body’s internal balance, reducing pain, and improving the quality of life.
Biotherapy
- Immunotherapy: Enhance the body’s immune system’s ability to recognize and kill tumor cells. Common immunotherapy methods include immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell transfer, etc. Immunotherapy is generally suitable for patients with specific types of tumors and good physical fitness.
- Gene Therapy: Introduce specific genes into tumor cells to correct abnormal genetic changes, inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. Gene therapy is generally in the experimental stage and is suitable for patients with specific types of tumors.
Prognosis
Cancer treatment has a relatively good effect on early-stage patients and patients with high sensitivity to treatment, and the survival rate of cancer patients has gradually increased with the continuous development of medical technology. After treatment, attention should be paid to regular follow-up visits to monitor the patient’s condition and prevent recurrence.
Sequelae
Some cancer patients may have sequelae, such as organ function impairment, body shape changes, etc., after treatment. For example, breast cancer patients may experience upper limb lymphedema after breast surgery; lung cancer patients may have respiratory dysfunction after lung surgery.
Rehabilitation
- Physical Rehabilitation: Through physical therapy, exercise therapy, etc., help patients recover their physical function, improve physical fitness, and enhance immunity.
- Psychological Rehabilitation: Provide psychological counseling, support group activities, etc., to help patients adjust their mental state, reduce anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions, and improve their quality of life.
Relase
Cancer patients need to have regular follow-up visits after treatment to monitor the patient’s condition and detect recurrence as early as possible. For patients with recurrence, individualized treatment plans can be developed according to the patient’s condition to improve the survival rate and quality of life.
Staging
Cancer staging refers to the determination of the extent of tumor invasion and metastasis. The commonly used staging system is the TNM staging system, which includes the following three indicators:
- T (Tumor): Indicates the size and extent of the primary tumor.
- N (Node): Indicates the extent of lymph node metastasis.
- M (Metastasis): Indicates the extent of distant metastasis.
According to the TNM indicators, cancer is generally divided into stages 0, I, II, III, and IV. The higher the stage, the more severe the cancer.
Prevention
Adopt a healthy lifestyle, balance diet, exercise actively, avoid tobacco and excessive drinking, undergo regular check-ups, and reduce the risk of cancer. Pay attention to occupational protection to avoid long-term exposure to chemical substances, radiation, and other carcinogens.
Statistics
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The incidence and mortality of cancer have increased year by year, with lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer being the most common. The 5-year survival rate of cancer patients has gradually increased with the continuous development of medical technology, especially in countries and regions with developed medical levels.
Research
Cancer research includes basic research and clinical research. Basic research mainly studies the genetic changes, molecular mechanisms, and pathogenesis of cancer, providing theoretical support for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Clinical research focuses on developing new treatment methods and drugs to improve the survival rate and quality of life of cancer patients. In recent years, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and other new technologies have made significant progress in cancer treatment, bringing new hope to cancer patients.
