Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to data from the WHO (World Health Organization), in 2020 almost 10 million people died as a result of this disease.
But what exactly is cancer? This term encompasses more than 200 types of diseases and each one of them can have totally different characteristics from the rest. What is common in all these diseases is that there is an uncontrolled growth of cells .
To understand the mechanism of cancer, it is necessary to know that the cells of our body divide periodically and regularly with the aim of replacing those that die or age. The idea is that the organs continue to function properly. The cell division process is strictly regulated by control mechanisms that tell the cell when to start dividing and when not to. Among these cellular control mechanisms, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes stand out. The former ensure that cells proliferate normally. However, if an activating mutation occurs, the cells will proliferate massively and uncontrollably. Tumor suppressor genes are responsible for stopping proliferation, but there are mutations that can inactivate them and the result will be the same as when oncogenes are altered: uncontrolled cell growth.
Over time, this massive and uncontrolled division can lead to a tumor or nodule.
What is a tumor?
The American Cancer Society defines a tumor as a mass or lump . If the mass is not cancerous, we will be facing a benign tumor . While, on the contrary, if it is cancerous we will have a malignant tumor, which will be the same as cancer. Therefore, tumor and cancer do not necessarily have to be the same .
The benign tumor does not have the ability to spread to other parts of the body while the malignant one does. Cancer cells can break away from where the tumor started, travel, and end up depositing themselves in the lymph nodes or other organs, causing them to function abnormally.
Although, as we have mentioned, a benign tumor cannot appear or invade other parts of the body, they can be dangerous if they are pressing on important organs , such as the brain. If the doctor recommends it, that tumor will have to be removed. Benign tumors do not usually grow back.
How can a tumor be detected?
When a person goes to the doctor for any discomfort or symptom, first of all, a medical history will be made taking into account their family and personal history and life habits. You will also be scanned. Depending on the result of the examination and possible diagnosis, the doctor may recommend some test.
The tests are divided according to the technique used:
- Analytical: blood, urine, etc. What they do is analyze components from different parts of the body.
- Imaging tests. What it is about is obtaining images of the organism.
- Tissue study , such as biopsies and cytology. In this case, what is sought is to study the cells of the suspicious tissues and see if there is malignancy or not.
Many of the tests used to detect cancer are used for other pathologies , that is: radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, endoscopy, scintigraphy…
References: American Cancer Society, Spanish Association Against Cancer and WHO.
