"Cancer" | Know Your Enemy: Battling Cancer

The word ‘Cancer’ instantly conjures up images of pain, suffering and imminent death. But the truth is that Cancer is not a painful disease by itself. If it was, we would have detected and diagnosed it early in its course and improved the outcomes by due treatment. Pain, when associated with Cancer, is generally a reflection of the disease in an advanced stage. Even then, with the understanding of the mechanisms of development of pain in various diseases and advances in the tools available to manage pain—pain is now just another symptom of Cancer that can be treated and controlled. 

As far as the fear of imminent death is concerned, one needs to consider that Cancer is not just one disease. A good analogy would be infection. Now, we all know that there are different types of infections caused by different agents. These can range from a common cold to potentially serious infections with flesh eating bacteria and gas gangrene. The biological course and outcome of Cancer is determined by several factors. It depends on where the Cancer first evolved, as well as, individual characteristics, such as the presence of various receptors.  

Cancers can develop in the cells that make up different tissues and organs or the cells that make up the lattice or infrastructure of the organ. Each type of Cancer needs to be studied individually and the strategies for cure are designed based on the individual characteristics.

The fact is that Cancers are a group of diseases and not one disease. The diagnostic and treatment strategies are different and so are the outcomes. When told that someone has Cancer, what comes to mind is where, for how long, its appearance under the microscope and other specific tests. A calculated guess can be made as to the potential outcomes, including the required cure.

So, it may be time to get comfortable, open this book from the first chapter and you will be informed about what Cancer is really all about.