Cancer is a disease that has plagued many people across the world. Each year 12.7 million people discover they have cancer and 7.6 million people die from the disease (Huffington Post, 2011). Many of us can say that cancer, whether it be us that is sick or someone who is close to us, has affected our lives in some way. My family in particular took a hard blow when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a while, the cancer spread into her bones and she passed away soon after because of it. In this paper I will be discussing what cancer is, what it is caused by, some identifiable symptoms, treatment options, effects if left untreated, and the effects of living with the disease. Cancer is a group of diseases …show more content…
One of the troubling things about it is that sometimes the signs or symptoms will not arise until the cancer has made a significant amount of progression. Some cancers may cause extreme tiredness or fatigue. This is because the multiplication of cancer cells takes up a lot of the body’s energy. Cancer cells can also release substances into your body that affect nerves and muscles and causes symptoms that can make a person weak or dizzy. For example, some pancreatic cancers release substances that cause blood clots in the veins of the legs. A few of the common symptoms of cancer include unexplained weight loss, fever, fatigue, pain, skin changes (hyperpigmentation, jaundice, erythema, pruritis, or excessive hair growth). Some cancers have specific symptoms such as skin cancer, where sores appear that do not heal and may bleed. A long lasting sore in someone’s mouth may be an indication of some kind of oral cancer. Long-term diarrhea, or change in stool size may possibly be a sign of colon cancer. Many cancers of the soft tissue (breasts, testicles, and lymph glands) can be felt through the skin. A lump may be an indication that cancerous tissue