Cancer Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cancer?
Cancer is the name given to over 100 diseases which are all characterized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Normally, cells in our bodies reproduce in an orderly process known as cell division. Rapidly dividing abnormal cells can form tumors which can eventually invade healthy tissue and may spread to other parts of the body via the lymph system or blood stream.

What causes cancer?
We are not sure what specifically causes cancer. However, we do know that several factors can contribute to cancer development. These factors may be external such as exposure to chemical substances, or internal such as a genetic predisposition to developing cancer. Anyone is at risk for developing cancer, however most cases occur in adults who are middle-aged or older, those who have a family history of cancer, or those who participate in potentially cancer causing behaviors like using tobacco products or getting too much sun.

Can cancer be prevented?
Some cancers can be prevented by not smoking or using tobacco products, avoiding over-exposure to the sun, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, eating a low fat - high fiber diet, and participating in regular age appropriate cancer screenings such as pap tests, mammograms, and rectal exams.

Why do some people get cancer while others don’t?
We are not completely clear why some get cancer while others don’t when they are exposed to the same types of cancer causing agents, called carcinogens. With a few cancers there seems to be an inherited factor which increases someone’s risk of developing that cancer. For most cancers, it is believed that because of individual differences, some individual’s cells will develop cancer with little exposure to a carcinogen while other’s cells require greater exposure to develop cancer.

Does a lump always mean it is cancer?
No. Some lumps can be made up of abnormal cells that are not cancer and cannot spread to other parts of the body.

How can some people develop a cancerous lump or a mass only a few months after a doctor examined the area and found nothing?
In some cases, it may seem like the cancer just recently developed. It is more likely that the cancer cells have been multiplying for a while but there were too few to be detected earlier. Some tumors require a billion cells before they can be detected. Regular screening measures are important so that a tumor may be detected as soon as possible.

How fast does cancer grow?
Different cancers grow at different rates. Cancer cells each divide indefinitely into new cancer cells, doubling the total amount of cancer cells with each cell division cycle. As more and more cells are dividing, the total number of cells in a tumor grows at a faster rate. For this reason, it may appear that the cells are dividing more rapidly when in fact, there are just more cells dividing.

Why are more people getting cancer now than in the past?
In some cases, it may only seem like more people are getting cancer today than in the past. For some types of cancer, the number of diagnosed cases has decreased or remained the same. For those where the number has increased, there are several possible explanations. One is our improved ability to diagnose cancer and distinguish it from other life threatening illnesses. Also, cancer typically affects those who are middle-aged or older. Because of medical advances, more people are living to middle-age and older instead of dying young from diseases like tuberculosis and small pox.

What are the most common cancers?
According to the American Cancer Society, the most common cancers in men are skin, prostate, lung, and colon-rectum. In women, the most common cancers are skin, breast, colon-rectum, lung & uterus.

Why is early detection important?
If cancer is detected early and before it has spread to other parts of the body, it is much easier to treat successfully.

Why do people with the same cancer get different treatments?
Treatment options depend on the individual as well as the type and extent of the cancer. Different treatments may be better for different stages of the same cancer.

Why do some treatments have awful side-effects?
Cancer is different than an illness caused by an infection from bacteria. Bacteria are very different than our normal cells so antibiotic medicines can kill the bacteria with little affect on our healthy cells. Because cancer cells are so much like healthy cells, it is difficult to destroy them without the risk of doing some damage to healthy cells. This damage to some of our healthy cells is what causes side-effects like nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. Some cancer treatments may cause uncomfortable side effects. Cancer treatments used to attack cancer cells that are dividing without normal control may also affect some normal cells in the body that divide rapidly. Cells that are most vulnerable to these treatments are found in the mouth and tongue, the stomach lining, the hair follicles, and the bone marrow, which makes blood cells. For this reason, patients may experience mouth sores, nausea, hair loss, and lowered blood cell counts which can affect our immune system. Side effects from radiation therapy can vary based on the part of the body being treated, but the most common side effects include fatigue, skin changes, and loss of appetite.

If side-effects do occur, it is important to discuss them with your treatment team. Today, there are effective treatments available to help prevent and manage side-effects associated with treatment. After treatments are finished, side-effects generally disappear.

With all the technology we have, why aren’t we closer to finding a cure?
Research has lead to big advances in our understanding of cancer. However, the gap between advances in understanding and advances in treatment remains a big one. Researchers have found that cancer cells often behave differently and respond to treatments differently in a laboratory than they do in a person. However, research continues to be important because with each increase in understanding we begin closing that gap.

Can complementary or alternative therapies cure cancer?
In short, not that we now of. Many complementary therapies have not been scientifically studied to assess whether they are effective at all. However, some techniques have benefits to people when used in conjunction with conventional or standard treatments. You should always discuss any complementary or alternative therapy with your treatment team before you use it, and always be cautious about any therapy technique that is to be used in the place of conventional treatments.

Will there ever be a cure for cancer?
There will probably never be a cure for cancer. Because different cancers behave differently in the body, it is unlikely that one magic cure will erase them all. It is much more likely that advances will produce treatments to control cancer like preventing it from developing or preventing cancer from spreading after it develops.