Cancer refers to a broad group of diseases that can originate in nearly any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably.
These cells may extend beyond their normal boundaries, invading nearby tissues and potentially spreading to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis, which is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
The terms “neoplasm” and “malignant tumor” are also commonly used to describe cancer.
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Globally, cancer is the second most common cause of death, responsible for approximately 9.6 million deaths in 2018, or about 1 in every 6 deaths.
In men, the most prevalent types are lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach, and liver cancer, while in women, breast, colorectal, lung, cervical, and thyroid cancers are most common.
The global cancer burden continues to rise, placing immense physical, emotional, and financial stress on individuals, families, and healthcare systems.
Low- and middle-income countries often struggle the most to manage this burden, with many patients lacking access to timely and effective diagnosis and treatment.
However, in countries with robust healthcare systems, survival rates are improving for many cancers due to the availability of early detection, quality treatment, and follow-up care.
Management
Cancer is more likely to respond effectively to treatment when detected early, increasing the chances of survival, reducing complications, and lowering treatment costs.
There are two main strategies for promoting early detection:
1. Early diagnosis aims to identify symptomatic cancer cases at the earliest stage possible.
2. Screening seeks to detect cancer or pre-cancerous conditions in individuals without symptoms by identifying abnormalities and promptly referring them for diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment options may include surgery, cancer medications, and/or radiotherapy, either used alone or in combination.
A multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists determines the best treatment plan based on the tumor type, cancer stage, clinical factors, and other considerations. Patient preferences and the healthcare system’s capacity should also be factored into the treatment choice.
Palliative care, which focuses on improving the quality of life for patients and their families, is a vital aspect of cancer care.
Survivorship care involves a comprehensive plan for monitoring cancer recurrence, detecting new cancers, managing long-term side effects of cancer or its treatment, and addressing the ongoing needs of cancer survivors.
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