Cancer Resources

We mostly blame the sun for melanoma. UV radiation from the sun can damage the DNA in your cells. Sometimes the damage is to the certain genetic code that controls how and when your cells grow and divide. When that happens cells begin to grow out of control and eventually we call it a cancer (melanoma to be precise).

Causes of Melanoma

Most UV radiation is from the sun, but there are other common sources of UV radiation. The most common source of UV radiation (aside from the sun) is a tanning bed. Be careful when using a tanning bed – don’t overdo it!

Most UV exposure that leads to skin cancer occurred to people in their childhood or young adult years. Children and young adults usually get a lot of intense sun exposure when they are young, but the resultant cancer may not show up for years or decades! Continue reading ‘What Causes Melanoma and Who is Likely to Get It?’ »

The odds are very high that you or someone you know had cancer or had died from it. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, after heart disease. Men have slightly less than a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer, while for women, the risk is a little more than 1 in 3.

All cancers involve the malfunction of genes that control cell growth and division. Every cell in the body has a program that tells it what to do, called the DNA or the genetic code.

If the cell DNA code gets changed a bit by hormonal imbalance, chemicals, or free radicals, mutations occur. The cells with mutated DNA no longer look like the original cells we were born with. Also, mutations accumulate with age, that’s why about 78% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons 55 years and older.

About 5% of all cancers are strongly hereditary. However, most cancers do not result from inherited genes but from damage to genes occurring during one’s lifetime. Continue reading ‘What You Can Do To Prevent Cancer’ »

In case you are not aware, melanoma is a very malignant tumor that is caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells called melanocytes, the pigment producing cells. While it is usually referred as a type of skin cancer, it can and does occur in other body organs.

Although it is much less common than either basal cell and squamous cell cancers, it is still remains the cause of the greatest number of skin cancer-related deaths.

Over exposure to the ultraviolet radiation of the sun can have very damaging effects on the DNA in the skin cells. Once the DNA becomes damaged, there is a greater incidence of cancerous changes that will develop in the affected cells. Continue reading ‘What Are the Important Risk Factors About Melanoma?’ »

Colorectal cancer early screening is recommended at more frequent intervals and starting at a younger age for those at increased risk due to hereditary syndromes. Due to the fact that germline mutations are present in every cell, it is essential to be aware of the higher risk for extra colonic tumors in these syndromes, but each has a distinct spectrum of risk in other organs.

According to the American Gastroenterological Association has published a position statement and guidelines on genetic testing for hereditary colon cancer. The integration of genetic testing into clinical practice provides multiple benefits to individuals in families with histories of colorectal cancer. These benefits include earlier detection of colorectal neoplasms and prevention of cancer, removal of patient doubt, greater choice of surgical and other intervention options, elimination of unnecessary screening, and provision of information for planning family and career decisions. In hereditary colon cancer, genetic testing has been shown to be cost-effective. Continue reading ‘Everyone Could Be Potential Suspect For Colon Cancer’ »