The History of Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society cancer is a group of many related diseases. All forms of cancer involve out-of-control growth and spread of abnormal cells.  Cancer cells often travel to other parts of the body where they begin to grow and replace normal tissue. This process, called metastasis occurs as the cancer cells get into the bloodstream or lymph vessels of our body. Cancer cells develop because of damage to DNA.  People can inherit damaged DNA, which accounts for inherited cancers. Many times though, a person's DNA becomes damaged by exposure to something in the environment, like smoking.

“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. The risk of developing most types of cancer can be reduced by changes in a person's lifestyle, for example, by quitting smoking and eating a better diet. The sooner a cancer is found and treatment begins, the better are the chances for living for many years.”

The origin of the word cancer is credited to the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 B.C.) who was considered the "Father of Medicine." Hippocrates used the terms carcinos and carcinoma to describe non-ulcer forming and ulcer-forming tumors. In Greek these words refer to a crab, most likely applied to the disease because the finger-like spreading projections from a cancer called to mind the shape of a crab. Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer.

Scientists such as Galileo and Newton, During the Renaissance (beginning of the 15th century), began to develop a greater understanding of the human body.  They started to use scientific methods like autopsy, which is started being used to study diseases. Giovanni Morgagni of Padua was the first to perform autopsies to relate patient's illness to the pathologic findings after death. This laid the foundation for scientific oncology, the study of cancer.

What can I do to prevent cancer?

Cancer knows no race, color or sex.  What most of us don’t know is that we develop cancer cells everyday throughout our lifetime.  Some of us lucky enough to never get it and some aren’t.  Our immune systems fight these cancer cells everyday but sometime our systems fail us because we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves.  Eating right and exercising are things we can do to help. 

How is the doctor able to diagnose cancer?

Doctors use something call mammography, which is a technique that uses X-rays to provide an image of the breast. These images, called mammograms, are used to find tumors in the breast that can’t be felt (nonpalpable lesions). Mammograms are usually done in a general radiology center or in clinics set up expressly for mammography. During the procedure, which usually takes about 15 minutes, each breast is compressed between two plates, and an X-ray image is made. Radiologists who are trained in mammography then read the images, looking for any signs of abnormal tissue.

We have only one life to live and the choices we make now can have a great effect on us.  See your doctor regularly.

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