Understanding Cancer

Abstract

Cancer is a scary word to hear in our society. According to the Mayo Clinic, cancer is the second-leading cause of death among humans throughout the world. This considering, most of us, if not all, have had a first-hand experience with it. Whether it have been through our own battle with it, a loved one’s diagnosis, or through popular culture here it is depicted and discussed regularly. Due to cancer’s vast prognoses and broad scope of symptoms/illnesses, it can be intimidating to begin learning about. The knowledge you may already have about one type of cancer or one patient may not be applicable to the many other diagnoses out there. In this chapter we are going to learn about the fundamentals of cancer. We are going to address the question, “What actually is cancer?” We will discuss not only the biology of cancer but also the causes, different types of prevention, and treatment options available. While we cannot go into detail about each individual cancer, we will also discuss the most common one, such as, breast cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma. After reading this chapter we hope you have a newfound understanding of the disease and can educate others around you in this topic.