Cancer, a scourge for all people, this is because the number of cancer deaths are very high. Not only in Indonesia but also in various countries. In America, cancer is the number two cause of death. In the year 2003 there are an estimated 1,334,100 cases with a mortality of 556,500 people. While in Europe there are also three new cancer cases each year with a mortality rate of two million. Life expectancy of cancer patients is only 60% compared with no patients. Why cancer becomes very scary and dangerous? What exactly is cancer?

The Origin of Cancer

Cancer is a condition in which cells have lost control and the normal mechanisms, so that experienced abnormal growth, rapid and uncontrolled. Cancer cells continue to divide, and ignores the rule of law, breeding laws. Cancer can occur from various networks in various organs, such as skin cells, liver cells, blood cells, brain cells, stomach cells, intestinal cells, lung cells, urinary tract cells, and various other body cells. In line with the growth and breeding, cancer cells form a mass of malignant tissue to infiltrate nearby tissue (invasive) and can spread (metastasize) to the entire body. Cancer cells formed from normal cells in a complex process called transformation, which consists of initiation and promotion stages.

At the initiation stage occurs a change in the genetic material of cells into malignant cells fishing. Changes in the cell’s genetic material is caused by an agent called carcinogens, which could be chemicals, viruses, radiation (irradiation) or the sun. But not all cells have the same sensitivity to a carcinogen. Genetic abnormalities in cells or other materials, called the promoter, causing the cells more susceptible to a carcinogen. Even the physical disruption of cells can make to become more sensitive to having a malignancy.

In the promotion phase, a cell that has undergone the initiation will become malignant.
cells that have not passed the initiation stage will not be affected by the campaign. because it takes several factors to the occurrence of malignancy (combination of the sensitive cell and a carcinogen).

By the time a cell becomes malignant, often the body’s immune system can destroy malignant cells before it multiplied and became a cancer. However, if the immune system does not function normally, the body tends exposed to the risk of cancer, as happens in people with aids, people who use immune-suppressing drugs and in certain autoimmune diseases. But the immune system was not always effective, so that sometimes the cancer can still penetrate this protection even if the immune system function normally.

In almost all types of cancer, the success rate of therapy was associated with stage at diagnosis and treatment. The higher stage at diagnosis, the success of therapy could decrease with treatment modalities increasingly aggressive.

Cancer Risk Factors

It is known that a set of genetic and environmental factors may increase the risk of cancer. Factors that may increase the risk include: family history is one of the most important factor to remember cancer can be influenced by genetic abnormalities. Some families may have a higher risk for certain cancers when compared with other families, such as risk women for breast cancer increased 1,5-3 times when his mother or sister had breast cancer.
Some breast cancer associated with a specific genetic mutation, which is more often found in some ethnic groups and families. Women with this gene mutation have a 80-90% chance of registration for breast cancer and 40-50% for ovarian cancer, such as found in 1% of Ashkenazi Jewish women. Other cancers that tend to be inherited in families is skin cancer and big colon cancer.Example, chromosome abnormalities someone with down syndrome, which has a 3 pieces chromosome 21, have a risk of 12-20 times higher for leukemia akut.Some Environmental Factors environmental factors may increase the risk of cancer, one of the most important thing is smoking. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, mouth, larynx (vocal cords) and the bladder.
Other environmental factors such as excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, particularly from the sun, causing skin cancer.
In addition, r adiasi ionization (which is carcinogenic) that are used in x-rays, generated from nuclear power plants and atomic bombs and can reach very long distances, also can increase the risk of cancer. For example people who survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II, has a high risk of occurrence of leukemia. Exposure to uranium miners also increase the risk of lung cancer 10-20 years later, and the risk will be higher if the miners are merokok.Foods also other important risk factors for cancer, particularly cancers of the digestive tract. For example eating foods that contain lots of smoked foods and acidified (in the form of pickles) can increase the risk of gastric cancer. Alcohol drinkers also had a higher risk of throat cancer.
If someone ate high-fiber foods, it can reduce the likelihood of colon cancer. Reduce fat to less than 30% of total calories, would reduce the risk of colon cancer, breast and protat.Many chemicals known to cause cancer and many others are suspected of causing cancer. Exposure to certain chemicals may increase the risk of cancer after a few years later, such as asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer and mesotelioma (pleural cancer), and skin cancer usually found in paint workers and workers who clean the chimney because of the content of hydrocarbons . Staying risk the cancer also varies based on where a person lives. For example, the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer in Japan is low, but this increased risk in Japanese men living in America and will eventually have the same risk amount with the other American citizens. Uniquely again, the Japanese have an incidence rate of gastric cancer is very high, but the Japanese people who were born in America this figure is lower.
Geographical variations in cancer risk is likely to involve many factors, namely a combination of genetics, food and environment. Viruses known to cause cancer in humans and other viruses suspected of causing cancer. This cancer-causing virus called oncogenic viruses. For example, papilloma virus that causes genital warts is probably one of the causes of cervical cancer in women, cytomegalovirus causes Kaposi’s sarcoma, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C can cause liver cancer, although it carcinogens or promoters are not known.
In Africa, Epstein-Barr virus causes Burkitt’s lymphoma, whereas in China these viruses cause nose and throat cancer. It was clear, that some additional factors (environmental or genetic), required for the occurrence of cancer caused by Epstein-Barr virus. Some human retro virus, such as HIV virus, can cause lymphoma and blood cancers lainnya.Infection by the parasite schistosoma (bilharzia) could cause bladder cancer because of the occurrence of chronic irritation of the bladder. But other chronic irritants do not cause cancer. Infection by clonorchis, which mainly are found in the far east, can cause cancer of the pancreas and empedu.Hormones channel is a substance produced by glands regulate body activities organs. Diethyl stilbestrol, an artificial sex hormone commonly used to fatten cattle, proved to be the cause of cervical cancer, breast, and other means of reproduction.
In some studies, it is known that administration of certain hormones can cause excess cancers in organs that influence, such as breast, uterus, ovaries and prostate. The influence of hormone that can cause cancer can not be known with certainty. Cancer Epidemiology

Over time, the risk of cancer also changed. Cancer that had often found it rarely happens. For example in America, in 1930 gastric cancer 4 times more common than now. Meanwhile, the incidence of lung cancer in the United States in 1930 was 5 of every 100,000 people increased from 114 per 100,000 in 1990, and this figure soared to the women. This change is almost certainly the result of the increased use of cigarettes, not least in women. Smoking also causes mouth cancer rise.

In a study of cancer epidemiologik, is expected to increase 99% in 2010 patients in developing countries than in 1985. Whereas in developed countries, increasing the number of patients estimated that only 38%. This suggests that cancer becomes a serious problem in developing countries in the future.

In Indonesia, the problem of cancer seen incredible spikes. In the 10-year period, shows that cancer ranks as the cause of death rose from rank 12 to rank sixth. Every year there are estimated 190 thousand new patients and a fifth will die of this disease. But the cancer death rate is actually can be reduced 3-35 percent, from prevelensi action, screening and early detection. For example with a pap smear tests for women who have been sexually active can reduce mortality rates of cervical cancer. For the record, if a person convicted women with cancer that the cancer into the category of stage one, the life expectancy of the next five years will reach 90 percent. Stage two, 65 percent, stage three, 15-20 percent, and the fourth stage of his life expectancy less than five percent.

Age is also an important factor in the occurrence of cancer. Some cancers, such as Wilms tumor, acute lymphocytic leukemia and Burkitt’s lymphoma, a lot of attacking a young age. But most of the cancers occur in much older people. Prostate cancer, stomach and colon, most likely to occur after the age of 60 years. In America, more than 60% of cancers are diagnosed in people aged over 65 years.
overall, the risk of cancer in the United States increased 2-fold every 5 years after the age of 25 years. Increased risk of cancer in old age may be a combination of increasing the amount of time and increased exposure to carcinogens and further weakening the immune system due to age.

Always ‘Watchful’

The earlier cancer is found, the greater the hope of healing. Identify and note the seven danger signs in WASPADA. More information consult your doctor if there is one of the following signs that do not heal in a few weeks. Signs to watch out and shortened to WASPADA are:

W: Left large bowel or small custom changes or disturbances

A: Tools disturbed digestion and hard to swallow

S: Hoarseness or a cough that does not heal

P: The breast or elsewhere bump

A: Andeng-andeng (mole) has changed its nature, becomes larger and itching.

D: Blood or abnormal mucus out of the body
A: The sore or ulcer that does not go away

In the early stages, the cancer to grow without causing symptoms or complaints. This often causes people who have cancer do not realize it. When you have symptoms or give the complaint, normally the disease has continued. Therefore, if there is palpable lumps or other abnormalities such as found in alert although it does not interfere, and the need to watch out for suspected cancer to prove if it was not cancer.

source : http://dinkesbonebolango.org/