ANSWERS TO YOUR GENERAL CANCER QUESTIONS

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Our bodies have normal cells that do their jobs naturally. DNA is like a set of instructions that tells the cells what to do. But sometimes, the DNA in our normal cells gets damaged or changed. When this happens, the cells start growing in a strange and out-of-control way. We call this cancer. Many things we come into contact with can be harmful and cause cancer. These are called carcinogens. They can change the DNA in our cells. Carcinogens can be from environmental physical exposure (ionizing radiation, ultraviolet), chemical exposure (tobacco, contaminants, asbestos, alcohol, additives, pollution, etc.), biological viruses, bacteria or parasites (Epstein-Barr virus, human papilloma virus HPV, hepatitis B virus, and herpes virus-8) and other carcinogens that we may eat, absorb and breath.

There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer. They are named after the kind of cell that is damaged, and where in the body it happens.

Cancer can happen to anyone, no matter how young or old they are. It's not something you get directly from your parents, but sometimes DNA code in your parent's egg or sperm can make cancer risk more likely for you.  But even if you have this code, it doesn't mean you'll definitely get cancer.  As we get older, we are around more things that can cause cancer, like cancer producing things in our environment, objects we use or food.  With age, our cells might not be as good at fixing themselves as they used to be, which can also make cancer more likely.

Cancer gets its name from the type of cell it affects and where it is found in the body. The name usually ends with "oma," which is Greek for swelling or tumor.

• Carcinoma=cells in the skin and lining tissue in the body, such as in the breast, lung, colon, prostate, etc. (Carc is Greek for “cancer which also means crab”)
• Sarcoma=cells of bone or connective tissue (ie. muscles, connective tissue, vessels, fat, nerves, deep tissue (Sarc is Greek work for “flesh”)
• Central Nervous System=cells of the brain and spinal cord have different cell type names so may include “glio” “astrocyte” “neuro”
• Melanoma=melanocytes cells produce melanin in the skin (Melas is Greek for "black")
• Myeloma=plasma cells in the bone marrow (Myelo is Greek for “marrow”)
• Lymphoma=cells of the lymph system (Lympha is Greek for “clear water”)
• Leukemia=blood-forming cells (Leukos is Greek for “white” and Haima is Greek for “blood”)
• Neoplasm=”neo” means new and “plasm” means growth or formation

Staging helps doctors see how much cancer is in the body and where it is. Stage I means the cancer is small and only in one spot. In Stage II and III, the cancer is bigger and may have spread to nearby parts or lymph nodes. Stage IV means the cancer has spread to other places in the body. Doctors use the TNM system to describe cancer: T is for the main tumor, N is for if it's spread to lymph nodes, and M is for if it's spread to other parts. Having a higher stage doesn't always mean the person is very sick. It just shows where the cancer is and what needs to be treated.

Malignant tumors grow fast and can spread to other parts of the body.  Benign tumors grow slowly, have clear edges, and usually don't affect other parts of the body.

It is a special test looks at your DNA to see if there are any changes in genes, proteins, enzymes, or how chromosomes are put together. It is used to check if you have cancer, see if you might get it, or find out if you could pass it on to your kids. It can also help doctors know what treatments might work best for you.

Sometimes, doctors take a tiny piece of tissue from where there might be a problem in your body. They study it in a special lab to find out more about it and help figure out what is going on and come up with a diagnosis.

Your medical team will make a plan for your treatment based on what is going on with your body. This plan might include one or more of these choices:

• Surgery: removal of cancer tumor from your body
• Chemotherapy: use of drugs to kill cancer cells
• Radiation: high dose electromagnetic (x-ray) radiation to shrink tumors by killing cancer cells (proton therapy is radiation that uses protons vs. x-rays)
• Targeted Therapy: targets the proteins that control grow and behavior of the cancer cell (small-molecule medication or monoclonal antibodies)
• Immunotherapy: use of biological substances to help your immune system recognize and fight off cancer
• Hormone Therapy: hormones provided to slow or stop hormone-induced cancers (prostate, ovarian, endometrium, some breast cancers)
• Cryoablation or Cryosurgery: use of extreme cold from liquid nitrogen or argon gas to destroy tissue
• Thermal Therapy: tissue is heated to damage cancer cells (heated drugs, radio waves, lasers, ultrasound, heating chamber)
• Lifestyle Changes: address stress, sleep, nutrition, hydration, physical conditioning and environmental exposure--adverse habits such as substance use, risky exposure to chemicals or transmitted diseases can increase health risk factors and make cancer treatments less effective
• Stem Cell Transplant: replacement of stem cells that have been damaged by chemotherapy, radiation

Stay away from things that can harm you, damage your DNA and effect how your cells recover.  Don't smoke anything, try to stay away from too much sunlight or radiation, avoid alcohol and drugs, and be careful with breathing or touching chemicals and pollution. Eat natural foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains; avoid processed foods and drink. Drinking lots of water helps your body, many times being dehydrated causes illness.  Use gentle soaps and lotions with pH of 5.0-6.0 to keep your skin healthy so it can protect you. Exercise and be active to make your muscles strong. Try to stay at a healthy weight and protect yourself from diseases. Keep moving instead of sitting too much. Try to relax and don't let stress get to you, because it can make your health worse.  Get enough sleep to help your body heal and grow stronger.