Cancer Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Cancer is the most common leading cause of death next to heart disease. Cancer can strike anyone, oftentimes for unknown or unpredictable reasons. However, practicing good health habits (not smoking, eating nutritionally, exercising, etc) and having routine medical examinations can prevent cancer or catch it early. Catching cancer early often makes a huge difference in the overall success of treatment.
For the health conscious, it can help to know about the signs of cancer. Unfortunately, practically all the symptoms for cancer are also symptoms for other health problems, many of them minor or even harmless. Nevertheless, it is prudent to be educated on what to look for so you can know when to see a qualified doctor for a diagnosis of worrisome symptoms.
Of course, due to the fact that there are many different kinds of cancers--as many kinds as there are organs in the human body, in fact--the signs of cancer are incredibly varied.
Some of the more common cancers include the following:
- Lung Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Skin Cancer
Each of these cancers can be detected from a varied of respective symptoms. For example, a prolonged cough that doesn’t go away or bloody saliva can be a sign of lung cancer and blood in the stools or continuous diarrhea can be a sign of colon cancer. Testicular cancer and breast cancer are both identified by painless or slightly uncomfortable lumps. Prostate cancer is identified by a constricted flow of urine and diagnosed through a prostate exam. Skin cancer is detected through changed or unusual moles that may be irregularly shaped or exhibit bleeding. A severe, strenuous headache that doesn’t go away even with medication can also be a dangerous symptom.
Once diagnosed, cancer is treated with medication, chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation procedures like brachytherapy in which radio active seeds are inserted directly in the tumor (seed bracytherapy is an alternative prostate cancer treatment*). Proponents of naturopath medicine also recommend that the cancer patients make healthy lifestyle changes to bulk up their natural immune system and fight cancerous cells by eliminating exposure to as many free radicals as possible. Free radicals come from toxins, chlorinated and fluoridated water, electromagnetic radiation, pesticides, chemically-treated food, artificially refined carbohydrates, etc. Other aggregates include physical and emotional stress, not enough sleep (the average person needs between 7-10 hours), and poor diet.
The success of cancer treatment depends on the cancer, the patient, and in which stage the cancer was detected. The best way to fight cancer is to live the kind of healthy lifestyle that will help prevent it in the first place. When cancer is already at the door, it is important to take care of your body and hit the disease as hard as you can with everything that will help.
*Cesium 131 is an alternative prostate cancer treatment utilizing seed brachytherapy radioisotopes that has a higher energy and shorter half-life than either Iodine-125 or Palladium-103. This means that Cesium 131 delivers radiation therapy faster to the cancer cells. Cesium 131 ultimately results in less radiation used on the patient.
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