Most people are aware of how scary a disease cancer can be, but very few know the details of how it develops, its symptoms, and its treatment. Any part of the body may be affected by cancer.

Our bodies grow when our cells divide and multiply. But if this multiplication continues without any control, even as the body does not require it, it results in the formation of a tumor. The tumor can be benign or malignant. A malignant tumor is cancerous. These cells spread to other organs and tissues in the body, causing cancer as they spread. The cells in a tumor may enter the bloodstream, spreading cancer to other organs too. This is called metastasis.

Even after cancer has spread to other organs, it is referred back to the organ where it originated. Cancers like leukemia, which affects blood, can spread to organs through the bloodstream. In the initial stages, the symptoms of cancer may differ depending on their type. There are cancers that do not display symptoms until they reach their advanced stages. In their advanced stages, they become difficult to treat. This makes cancer screening and risk assessment very crucial in identifying even the early stages of cancer. Upon their advancement, most types of cancer show through certain common symptoms such as fever, fatigue and weight loss. The patient may also suffer from severe pain when cancer occurs in the bones or if it spreads to other organs or nerves.

Treatment of cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and biologic therapy. Based on the type of cancer and its stage, an oncologist will decide the mode of treatment for a patient.

Cancer can bring with it a number of hardships, and so it is better to take all precautions to prevent cancer as much as possible. Though cancer due to genetics cannot be avoided, lifestyle changes can definitely help in preventing the dreaded disease.