The best way to become aware of the signs of breast cancer is to do regular self examination. This specifically includes checking the breasts for any abnormal changes and lumps etc. Although one cannot be sure of whether one is having breast cancer only through physical examination, it can be the first step in either confirming the onset of the disease or eliminating any doubts about its presence. Early detection of breast cancer can even help prevent the patients from undergoing the trauma of mastectomy.

The earliest signs of breast cancer appear in the form of lumps in the breasts. Not all lumps are cancerous and sometimes can even be caused by a cyst inside the breast. Such lumps are not dangerous and do not in any way affect a person’s chance of getting breast cancer. However, whether a lump is cancerous or is just a cyst can only be determined by a well experienced medical practitioner. So in case a person finds any lumps that are different from the other areas of the breast, it is always advisable to get a proper check up done.

The other signs of breast cancer are an immediate change in the size and shape of the breasts. This can be caused by the growth of cancer cells inside the breasts. Some people might also notice some markings or dimpling on the breast and might also feel some inversion in the nipples. In addition, there might be a clear or even a bloody discharge occurring from the nipples as well as unusual pain in the breasts and under arm areas. In case of any or all of these symptoms, a person should immediately contact their doctor for a proper check up.

Other signs of breast cancer can be the Paget’s disease, whose symptoms are similar to eczema and hence are easily taken for granted. However, if a person feels redness, itching and burning and even some tingling feeling in the breast, it should not be ignored just as regular eczema and the advice of a good doctor should be taken. Moreover, one should also take into consideration the other symptoms of cancer which include unexplained weight loss, swollen lymph nodes and even joint pains.

It is vital to understand that these symptoms might turn out to be either the signs of breast cancer or even some other disease. The important thing is to understand these symptoms and do the required follow up to determine the causes behind them for their proper treatment and eradication.

Colon cancer causes an abnormal growth of cells in the colon which in turn results in the creation of a cancerous tumor. The disease is generally found to affect people above the age of 50 years but in some rare cases has also been diagnosed in much younger people. Failure to detect the colon cancer early symptoms might cause the cancer to engulf not only the entire colon and the rectum, but to spread to other vital body organs as well. So it is vital that any symptoms, no matter how insignificant they might seem, should not be ignored and should be discussed in detail with a well experienced medical practitioner.

Some of the most common colon cancer early symptoms include pain in the abdomen, discomfort or even swelling. A person might pass blood with stool and might even have long and thin stool. There might be unintentional weight loss in addition to which a person might not feel like eating anything. Some people might also experience rectal bleeding, diarrhea, constipation, or even be unable to completely empty the bowel. Most of these symptoms ado no occur for months after the colon cancer has struck.

The colon cancer early symptoms can tell a person that not everything is right inside the body. The bloating, swelling and pain can be caused by the cancerous tumor pressing against the other abdomen parts. On the other hand the bleeding and thinner stools might result from the waste making its way around the tumor. In most cases, patients commit the mistake of ignoring the symptoms and taking them to be caused by some trivial ailments. Even though this might be true in some cases, it is always advisable to take proper medical advice instead of going for self medication to get temporary relief.

Through proper measures it is possible to treat colon cancer when it is detected in the early stages. However the chances of survival reduce as the cancer advances inside the body. Remember, colon cancer early symptoms, if not taken seriously can prove fatal. On the other, being a little caution can not only save a person from going through the trauma of a painful and deadly disease, but will also help him a long and healthy life. So stop ignoring any unnatural changes in your bowel movements and immediately discuss any such symptoms with your doctor.

Benign tumours usually are not harmful and can be operated for removal without causing any damage to other body organs. However if the tumour you have developed is malignant by nature, it doesn’t only damage the organ it infests in but also the organs around it through the process we know as metastasis.

Lung cancer has the tendency to spread faster at an earlier stage as compared to other cancers. Even though the entire body is susceptible to being affected by lung cancer, the organs that are more sensitive as compared to others are the adrenal glands, the liver, the brains and the bones. Since now you know how hazardous the spreading of lung cancer can be and if it has spread how incurable the disease is, you possibly realize why it is so important to be aware of the symptoms of lung cancer.

Here we have enlisted some of the symptoms you need to watch out for even though the first glimpse of them does not mean you have lung cancer. However if there are a number of symptoms you notice, you should consult a doctor at the earliest. These symptoms would be swelling of the neck and face and surrounding areas, a prevailing cough, bloody sputum, brownish spit, chest pains, weight loss, breathing problems, sudden fatigue, frequent lapses of bronchitis, pneumonia and other chest infections, hoarsening of voice, persistent fever and unwillingness to eat.

However you must understand that consultation with a doctor when you find one or a few of these symptoms are a must as you might wrongly conclude you need treatment when you actually don’t. On the other hand, you mustn’t ignore the symptoms either. On spreading, the body becomes weaker and suffers other symptoms such as brittleness of bones, body pains and the worst thing is that you might not even realize you are suffering from lung cancer till the problem has reached its last stage and treatment is deemed difficult.

Smoking and asbestos exposure are two most dominant reasons as to why you must be suffering from lung cancer so always remember that causing injury to yourself even in minor ways such as smoking can lead you to suffer tremendous illnesses such as cancer.

Prostrate is a gland located just below the bladder in the bodies of males. Its main function is to push the fluid into the urethra after the sperm shoots out through the penis during the process of intercourse. Detection of prostrate cancer during the very early stages is actually very difficult. This is mainly because a majority of people are quite unaware of the prostrate cancer symptoms and even if they have any symptoms a they tend to ignore them as some temporary issues.
Some of the prostrate cancer symptoms that need to be taken seriously by men include an urge to urinate frequently and more so during night. One might need to get up a number of times to urinate, which can cause a disturbance in the sleep schedule and hence result in longer sleeping hours to give adequate rest to the body. Any person who experiences this change in the urination pattern should take it quite seriously and seek medical advice at the earliest.
Another very common prostrate cancer symptom experienced by men is the difficulty in starting to urinate. Some men might even find it very difficult to hold back the urine. This can be very embarrassing as it interrupts the natural flow of everyday work and people have to have immediate access to the bathroom in such a situation. This is also one of the causes of restless sleep during the nights.

There are other prostrate cancer symptoms that people generally tend to take for granted. These include interrupted flow of urine, or even a weaker than usual urine flow In such cases men generally rush to the bathrooms feeling a great rush of urine, but actually end up with only a very little flow or even an interrupted flow. Some people have also experienced passing blood with urine or even having a pain or a burning sensation during urination.
As with other types of cancer, care should be taken about unexpected weight loss and other symptoms like pain in lower back, hips, thighs, abdominal area or near the penis, which can also turn out to be prostrate cancer symptoms. Some people might even find it difficult to get an erection during sexual intercourse or experience a painful ejaculation. In case a person faces any of the issues, they should take immediate medical advice.

It is also vital to remember that many times prostrate cancer can be detected only after regular medical examinations. So people with persistent symptoms should continue doing the medical screening till a proper cause is established.

Many people are affected with cancer every year. Men and women are more prone to caner in different forms. While a survey was done on the cause of deaths due to sex, age, cancer proved to be the cause of death for men between the age of 20-39 and the women between the ages of 60-79. Men who are below the age of 40 suffered death due to cancer caused by leukemia while men who are aged above 40 years suffered death due to bronchial cancer. Men between the ages of 40-79 died at large numbers due to colorectal cancer.

Treatments for cancer involve a huge research and this involves a large sum of money and hence analysis must be done on of how much money is spent on cancer research. Usually cancer is treated through radiation therapy or chemotherapy or gene therapy. Researches are going on in the field of cancer biology at the National Institute of Cancer and physicians spend enormous amount of energy to study the tumor cells. The development in researches and study would help to cure cancer and get a better solution to treat cancer faster.

The amount of money spent every year for the purpose of research and diagnosis of cancer vary and money spent on cancer research amounted around six billion dollars this year. The amount spent every year for the purpose of cancer research is decided by the office of budget and management. The amount spent for the year 2008 was $4.83 billion and that of year 2007 was $ 4.79 billion. The National Institute of Cancer funded:

- Research for Lung cancer with $243.9 million in 2006, $258.9 million in 2007 and $ 286.5 million in 2008
- Research for breast cancer with $293.4 million in 2006, $296.2 million in 2007 and $ 285.1 million in 2008
- Research for prostate cancer with $573.9 million in 2006, $534.9 million in 2007 and $ 567.5 million in 2008
- Research for colorectal cancer with $243.9 million in 2006, $258.9 million in 2007 and $ 286.5 million in 2008
- Research for bladder cancer with $24.2 million in 2006, $19.3 million in 2007 and $ 22.5 million in 2008
- Research for melanoma cancer with $113.9 million in 2006, $122.9 million in 2007 and $ 116.5 million in 2008
- Research for kidney cancer with $107.9 million in 2006, $98.9 million in 2007 and $ 96.5 million in 2008
- Research for leukemia cancer with $223.9 million in 2006, $245.5 million in 2007 and $ 216.2 million in 2008
- Research for uterine cancer with $19.7 million in 2006, $18.4 million in 2007 and $ 16.5 million in 2008
- Research for non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer with $243.9 million in 2006, $258.9 million in 2007 and $ 286.5 million in 2008

15 physicians as well as entrepreneurs in New York City initially set up the American Cancer Society in 1913. Back then the enterprise was called American Society for the Control of Cancer. The name that it is presently called was adopted only recently in 1945. George E Durant from Brooklyn in New York designed the sword symbol, which the American Cancer Society adopted in 1928. According to him, the handle demonstrated by two serpents show the two points of scientific and medical focus on the enterprises’ mission and the sword stands for the “crusading spirit” of this movement for controlling the spread of cancer.

The kind of work that the American Cancer Society encompasses is getting grants for researchers, organizing advertising campaigns in the interest of public health, running projects like the Great American Smoke Out and the Relay for Life, operating thrift stores so funds can be raised for the functioning of the society. The important endorsements of the American Cancer Society include a 4000-mile motorbike ride from San Francisco to Baltimore in order to raise funds for the society’s Hope Lodge as well as the Hopkins 4K for Cancer program. In 1994, an industry publication by the name of Chronicle of Philanthropy brought out the results and rankings of the largest poll of non-profit and charitable organizations. This was conducted by Nye Lavalle & Associates to test the credibility as well as popularity of the NGOs functioning in the States. In this statistical study, the American Cancer Society was shown as ranking tenth from among at least 100 charitable institutes in America.

The American Cancer Society has provided with funds for 44 Nobel Prize laureates of whom Mario Capecchi, James D Watson, Paul Berg, Oliver Smithies, Walter Gilbert and E Donnall Thomas are a few. Also in the year 1991, the published research produced by the society in the Journal of the American Medical Association brought to notice that children aging from 3 years to 6 years of age, could recognize the cartoon character for RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Joe Camel very easily as being Mickey Mouse. Thus the American Cancer Society does not only deal with the medical aspect of treating and preventing cancer, but also makes immense contributions in the field of corporate responsibility, media awareness and child education. For this contribution to society, the American Cancer Society has emerged to be one of the most renowned non-profit organizations in the world today.

Sophistication in detection and diagnosis of cancer is a story of 3-4 decades only. Before that many celebrities died of it without having the exact knowledge of the type of cancer they are suffering from. Prominent among them are David Lance Arneson( who has invented Dungeons & Dragons” role-playing game), baseball plyayer Ty Cobb, fashion designer Christopher Essex, peace crop founder and famous global diplomat Joseph Kauffman, and Edward Lorenz, the man who has invented butterfly effect. The list comprising which celebrities have cancer that was not diagnosed does not end here. Poet Patricia Goedicke Robinson, Gun smoke fame actor Dennis Weaver, valiant warrior Elizabeth Choy, Sax player Denis Payton also figures in this list. There are many others around the world who died of cancer without having the knowledge regarding the type.

Sophisticated tools and technologies helped medical science to detect the exact cancer a person is fighting with. Cancer or unrestricted cell growth can occur at different body parts and organs. Bone cancer includes unchecked cell growth at connective tissues and sarcomas. Some of the celebrities who had bone cancer are best selling author Diane Middlebrook, famous comic illustrator Michael Turner, Queen Hatshepsut and Vincent Angelo Meli. Jenessa Boey Byers, the child wonder who appeared at “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” had bone cancer. This little wonder did not loose the fighting sprit and lobbied intensively at congress for children suffering from cancer.

Breast cancer initiates from inner lining of milk ducts and lobules and affects the whole body with passage of time. It is one of the most horrific diseases contributing 7% of cancer deaths and 1% of global mortality. Famous actresses like Christina Applegate, Shirley Temple Black, Ingrid Bergman, Jill Eikenberry, Edie Falco, Diana Hyland and Kate Jackson died of breast cancer. Two former first ladies of US Nancy Reagan and Betty Ford had also this cancer. Henrikje van Andel, the oldest person of the world was also detected with breast cancer. After the death of Susan Komen in breast cancer, her sister Nancy Brinker established Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to help breast cancer patients’ world wide.

Many celebrities died of cervical, colon, esophageal, intestinal, brain, kidney, liver and other organ cancers. However, most of them true to their stature fought bravely with this horrific disease and paved the way for others to detect this disease earlier. This article compiling which celebrities have cancer is a tribute to those brave hearts.

You can easily minimize the cause for the occurrence of skin cancer by taking special care of your skin like by avoiding much exposure of it to the sun, regular check up with the dermatologist, using good lotions for your skin but in this case if have to be sure as to which lotion suits your skin the most the same goes with the other things like soap, shampoo, cream, beauty products and makeup products.

It is said that the skin cancer is likely to affect mostly the people with fair color skin, though other skin colors can also get skin cancer but the mostly affected people are the one with the fair color. The best way to protect skin cancer to enter your body is the protection from sun; this will help you in preventing cancer to affect your skin.

The history of skin cancer is not well known but the disease was said to be found first some 2400 years back in the period of mummies and the skin cancer was first discovered in Peru. The first person to identify the disease was a French Physician Rene Laennec; he gave the disease its name in 1806. After the skin cancer first discovered, the cure was not found and many researchers spend many years to find the cure.

When the skin cancer was first discovered people got sacred and though it to be a disease that might spread even doctors found it difficult to cure the disease, it was in the year 1787 the first operation was done by a Scottish Anatomist and Surgeon John Hunter after the skin cancer was first discovered. At that time John remarked that he did not knew anything about skin cancer and though it was cancer fungous and was harming the skin therefore he operated on that. It was later in 1968 that scientists identified the fungous and named it melanoma generally called Skin Cancer.

The diagnosis of the skin cancer is not difficult but it is a bit long process and it depends on the patient how much time will the diagnosis will take as he is the first person to identify the cancer or changes in the skin and he is the one who could react on time and go for a medical check up so that the skin cancer is cured on time. The prevention of the skin cancer also depends on the patient. By less exposure in the sun, it is a bit impossible to say no to the exposure all together but if some measure are undertaken then the exposure will be less harmful. Like using sunscreen lotion prescribed by the dermatologist, to cover your face and other parts of the skin that are exposed to the sun like neck, arm feet and with regular checkup you can prevent skin cancer to enter your body and do any harm to your skin.

The cells present in prostrate gland get continuously replaced with the new processes. The cells which have lost control over renewal process and begin to grow unnoticed are usually cancer cells. They get enlarged in size and form a tumor. With the growth of cells, the impact is on the surrounding tissues. This process is termed to act in a malignant way. Cells are probable to break the tumor and extend to other sites in the body, through blood stream. The cells can grow in many parts of body, such as brain, bones or other parts. The deposits of cells are called ‘secondaries’ or ‘metastases’. These accumulations are not new cancer forms, but form the group of cancer cells, which can be spread from prime form of cancer in prostrate gland. The cause of prostrate cancer depends from one person to the other.

Mostly, prostrate cancer has a trend of tumor growth, which is then followed by attack of cancer cells and then metastasis becomes moderately slower. This process can occur over many months or years. There are many cases in which men do not realize the problem soon because the prostrate cancer grows gradually and slowly that the other illness or diseases like heart attack can cause problematic situations or even death before even the recognition phase of this disease. The modern treatments can detect the early stage of prostate cancer and its controlling techniques are started in the beginning only. The invasion process of the cells is slowed down. The cancer has different survival levels all round the world and detection of the cause of prostrate cancer is very important in determining the right measures for its cure.

It is sometimes very difficult to know the exact cause of prostrate cancer. There are some risk factors, which determine that some men are more prone to get these problems. It is important to understand that all men have the risk to get prostate cancer and even the young males having no genetic history for this problem can also get prostrate cancer.

The cause of prostrate cancer varies for different cases, but some of the reasons are given below:

• Age: Age of a person is a major factor for the problem of prostrate cancer. It is noted that older men are more prone to get prostrate cancer than the young men.
• Ethnic groups: It has been observed under the survey that prostrate cancer is common in American and African communities of men.
• Male Hormones: Prostrate cancer is uncommon in castrated men.
• Genetic: It has been observed that the men having genetic history of prostrate cancer tend to get this problem.

Pelvic pain, or pain and/or pressure below the navel is one of the most basic signs. You might think it is just because of your menses, but sometimes, it can be cancer-related, and may be associated with ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, vaginal cancer, cervical cancer, or endometrial cancer. Another symptom you should watch out for is persistent pain in your lower back. If you have an ache there (which may feel like contractions during labor), it could be a symptom of ovarian cancer. Do also watch out for swelling and bloating in your abdominal area. This is one of the more common symptoms and don’t ignore it. Sometimes, the bloating might be in such a state that you can’t do up your trousers properly.

Are there any main causes of cancer or symptoms that you should know of? Well, there is also stomach upset of a persistent nature – be on your guard if you see you have constipation, gas, blood in your stools, diarrhea, or even any kind of change in your bowel movement. You might have colon cancer, or gynecologic cancer. Vaginal bleeding is a sign of the latter as well. Watch out for excessively heavy periods, bleeding in between your periods, and even bleeding after or during sex. It could be linked to ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, or cervical cancer. If you have persistent fever, and it does not go away after 7 days, see your doctor. Of course, don’t panic, because fever could be the sign of any number of diseases!

Sometimes women feel extremely happy when they drop a few pounds, but this shouldn’t be the case. Don’t treat it lightly, because another sign of cancer is unintentional weight loss. Of course, it’s natural that women’s weight fluctuates somewhat, but anything excessive (over 10 pounds) should be noted. Do see your doctor if this is the case. Another important symptom women should look out for is any kind of changes in the breasts – do note whether you have any nipple discharge, lumps, soreness, redness, swelling, or dimpling – if you do notice anything, go see your doctor immediately. It might be a symptom of breast cancer. Sores, blisters, or discharge in the vagina should also be reported, as these are vaginal abnormalities and may be linked to cancer. Fatigue too, is a symptom (though of advanced stages), but you should still see a doctor if you feel that you are too tired to do normal activities.

You should also watch out for the symptoms of ovarian cancer, which are a feeling of fullness in the abdominal area, discomfort in the pelvic region, indigestion, gas, or bloating, bleeding, swelling or pain in the abdomen, or pain during sexual intercourse. So, are there any main causes of cancer for women? You would be the best judge to decide on that question.