Cancer care

What is Cancer?

Cancer is not one disease, but can be a number of diseases affecting different parts of the body. In fact, there are more than 200 types of cancer - but they all start the same way. Cells in the body are usually controlled and divide in a normal way. But when something goes wrong with the control system, abnormal cells keep dividing and form what is called a tumour.

There are two types of tumour One is said to be benign which means it will not spread and often doesn't need treatment The other kind of tumour is a malignant one which can spread and may invade nearby tissue. This is called cancer Cancer cells can break away and travel to other parts of the body where they can form new tumours. These are called secondary cancers.

Making a Diagnosis

Because your doctor thinks there is a possibility that you may have cancer, you will be referred to a specialist cancer unit.

You may have one or more of the following tests:

An X-Ray
Scans - CT MRl or Ultrasound
BloodTests
A Biopsy where a small piece of tissue is taken from where the cancer is suspected. This will be examined, firstly to see it a cancer is present, and, if so, to identify what type of cancer it is.
A camera test such as a bronchoscopy or endoscopy.

If you are diagnosed with cancer, it means that abnormal cells have been found in your body and you should be told what type of cancer has been found and where it is in your body. The hospital will then work with you to plan what treatrnent is most appropriate for you.

Treatments

There are four main types of treatment for cancer, and you may be offered one or a combination of the four Occasionally doctors advise you to wait before anything is done and, at this point, no treatment is the most appropriate course of action.

The four treatments are:

Surgery
An operation is carried out to remove the cancer or as much of the cancer growth as possible. Generally it means you must stay in hospital for a short period of tirne.
Radiotherapy
This treatment uses radiation - high-energy rays like x-rays to kill the cancer cells. Radiotherapy can be given inside or outside the body by putting radioactive material close to the spot where the cancer has been found in your body. Radiotherapy is usually given during an outpatient session, so you won't need to stay in hospital. But you will need to make more than one visit to hospital. Sometimes the treatment can make you feel tired and you may also suffer some side effects such as skin reactions. But these generally tend to disappear once treatment stops.
Chemotherapy
This treatment involves the use of strong drugs to destroy the cancer cells. It sometimes means you will have to stay in hospital because the drugs may be given by injection or a drip. There may be some side-effects as the drugs affect healthy as well as cancer cells. Them are, however, medicines that can help overcome Some of the side-effects.
Hormonal
This treatment involves using hormones to control the growth of the cancer. It is usually used as part of the treatment for cancers of the breast, prostate, thyroid or womb.

If at any time you ore unsure about any of the treatments or any aspect of the treatments you are offered, you should talk to your doctor or the specialist nurse if your hospital has one.