Be Clear on Cancer

In simple terms, cancer is when cells in the body grow uncontrollably and spread to other areas of the body. It can start in almost any organ or tissue in the body - there are more than 200 types of cancer and each is diagnosed and treat in a particular way. 

Cancer as a whole is now the leading cause of death in the UK, having overtaken cardiovascular diseases. Cancer is the cause of 27 - 28% of all deaths in England on average. 

1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. In the UK, the 4 most common types of cancer are: 

• Breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Bowel cancer

There is no definitive way to protect yourself from cancer. Anyone of any age, race or gender can develop a form of cancer.

However, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer by making simple changes to your lifestyle. These include: 

• Not smoking
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet 
• Keeping a healthy weight
• Exercising regularly 
• Not drinking too much alcohol 
• Protecting your skin from the sun 

As well as developing in different parts of the body, the type of cells that become cancer can also be different. 

• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) - also known as epidermoid carcinoma, these cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs or on the lining of the respiratory and digestive tracts. It is one of the largest subsets of cancer. 
• Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) - the most common type of skin cancer. It often appears as a painless raised area of the skin. It may also present as a raised area with ulceration. It grows slowly and can damage the tissue around it, but is unlikely to spread to other areas or result in death. 
• Adenocarcinoma - a type of cancer that starts in the glands that line your organs. It is the most common type of cancer involving organs. 
• Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) - a type of cancer than arises from the transitional epithelium, tissue that lines the inner surface of hollow organs. It is the most common type of bladder cancer and second most common type of kidney cancer. 

It is important to be familiar with your body's normal processes and look, as a change to a process or appearance or an unusual, unexplained symptom can sometimes be an early sign of cancer. 

Changes such as: 

• A lump that suddenly appears.
• Unexplained bleeding.
• Changes to your bowel habits. 
• Cough/chest pain/breathlessness that persists for 3 weeks or more. 
• A mole that changes shape, colour or size or starts itching or bleeding.

It is especially important to be vigilant if you have had 2 or more close relatives develop cancer, or have been diagnosed with a condition that means you're at higher risk. 

Accurately diagnosing cancer can take weeks or months. As cancer often develops slowly over several years, waiting for a few weeks will not usually impact the effectiveness of the treatment. 

If your GP suspects that you may have cancer, you will be referred to what is known as a 2 Week Wait (2ww) pathway.

This is an urgent referral and you should be seen by a specialist to investigate your symptoms within 2 weeks and confirm or rule out cancer within 28 days.

Treatment should begin within 62 days of your referral if cancer is confirmed. If you have been diagnosed with cancer without an urgent referral, treatment should start within 31 days of being diagnosed. 

Surgery is usually the first treatment for most types of cancers, as a tumour is a solid mass that can usually be surgically removed. 

2 other common treatment methods are: 

• Chemotherapy - there are many different types of chemotherapy medicine, but they all work in a similar way. It can be given intravenously or in tablet form. It uses powerful chemicals to kill cells that are in the process of dividing, stopping them from reproducing and preventing them from spreading. 
• Radiotherapy - used in the early stages of cancer or after it has started to spread. It is a treatment where high doses of radiation are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. It can be given externally by using a machine to aim the radiation beams at the cancer, or internally via injections, drinks, or capsules or by temporarily implanting a piece of radioative metal inside your body near the cancer.