Approche to Care of Cancer. How to diagnose cancer?

Caring for Cancer
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Introduction
Cancer is one of the deadliest and most dangerous diseases in the world. It is actually the abnormal division of cells with the potential to spread or invade to all parts of the body. The cells that are divided abnormally and spread haphazardly often take the form of a tumor, which needs to be treated as soon as possible. Early symptoms of the disease are prolonged cough, sudden weight loss, changes in bowel movements, excessive bleeding and more. These symptoms are followed by severe signs that indicate that cancer has reached an alarming stage. More than 200 types of cancer have been found so far, and the researchers believe that the disease has up to 500 different types, meaning the rest of its types are yet to be discovered (Sanderson, 2008).
How to diagnose cancer?
If you observe any of the above-mentioned symptoms, the chances are you have cancer and a doctor should be approached as soon as possible. Prior to diagnosis, the doctor may ask you about your medical history and family background. This is done to know whether your family members have had cancer or not. besides the physical exams, different laboratory tests are conducted to diagnose the illness in a proper way. Urine tests and other fluid tests are also recommended to patients based on the severity of illness. It should be noticed that some of the lab results are not reliable. In such circumstances, imaging procedures are used to create clearer pictures of areas where cancer cells are likely to be present. These pictures help doctors find whether a tumor is originating or not. CT scan, nuclear scan, ultrasound, MRI, X-rays, PET scan, and biopsy are also done to diagnose different types and stages of cancer in a better way (2017).
Different stages of cancer
It is not possible for the doctors to treat or cure a patient without knowing the stage of cancer. Studies indicate that the cancerous cells change their color and structure with time, so the stage helps determine how serious the illness is and what type of treatment would be the best. There are two primary types of the staging system for cancer: the number system and the TNM system (Sanderson, 2008).
The TNM (Tumor, Node, Metastasis) system
Through this system, the doctors describe the size of cancer cells as well as the tumor. They also evaluate whether the cancerous cells have spread to all parts of the body especially lymph nodes or not. This system uses different numbers and letters to describe the illness in a better way. For example, T denotes the size of cancer cells and how far they have spread in the body. N denotes whether the cancer cells have reached the lymph nodes or not. Similarly, M denotes whether the diseased cells have reached other parts of the body or not, especially the heart, brain and digestive tract (2017).
The number system
The number system helps divide cancer cells into different categories for easy recognition and treatment of the disease. Most often, these cells are numbered from 1 to 4 and the physicians use Roman numerals to describe different numbers. For example, if you have stage 4, they will mention it as stage IV. The first stage indicates that cancer cells are few in number (2017). The second stage indicates that a tumor has started originating and it is getting bigger day by day. The third stage mentions that the disease has reached an alarming level and need doctors’ attention as soon as possible. It also indicates that the cancer is spreading to surrounding tissues and may attack lymph nodes in next few days. The fourth stage indicates that different body parts are being attacked and damaged by the illness. In this stage, cancer is often regarded as metastatic cancer (Sanderson, 2008).
Carcinoma in situ
Besides the number system and the TNM system, carcinoma in situ is a system that is rarely used and often denotes stage 0 cancer. It means only a couple of cells in one part of the body are affected. If remain uncured and unchecked, those cells may divide and develop rapidly and cause problems for the entire body. The changes taking place during this stage are known as dysplasia, and the number of cancer cells is insufficient, meaning it cannot form tumors in next few months or years (2017).
Complications of cancer
Cancer is one of those few diseases that accompany numerous complications. It should be noticed that cancer cells can attack any part of the body, anytime, and cause problems for a few parts of the entire body instantly. It can affect us emotionally, psychologically, mentally and...