Cancer is a genetic disease in which cells in the body grow and spread uncontrollably. It occurs through changes in functional genes responsible for cell growth and division. There are three main reasons for the genetic changes that lead to cancer. The first is the inheritance from our families; the second is the problems experienced during cell division; and the third is the damage done to DNA by harmful substances in the environment, such as tobacco smoke and UV light. There are more than 100 types of cancer, each has different causes and different treatment methods. For instance, while the risk of lung cancer increases when smoking, the risk of skin cancer increases when exposed to the sun without protection. However, a generalization that a factor can only causes one type of cancer is not true. Over smoking and consumption of alcohol are the main environmental reason for most of the cancer types.
You may ask, “We have an immune system, yet how do these damaged cells multiply and spread though the body without getting eliminated?” Well, the reason is pretty weird. Cancer cells hide from the immune system or even worse, they trick the immune system and the immune system starts to protect the cancer cell and help it to grow more. In some cases, cancer cells manipulate the immune system to protect the tumor instead of attacking it. Meanwhile, abnormal cells may form tumors which can be both cancerous and not cancerous. They can be removed from the body by surgery as long as the special doctors decide to do it.
The most well-known and prominent type of cancer in Türkiye is ‘leukemia’ which is basically the cancer found in blood. It is caused by the mutations in DNA in the bone marrow and main causes of it are excess usage of smoke and alcohol, exposing to high levels of radiation. Also, it is known that the deaths occurred due to leukemia are hardly ever caused by the cancer itself or the treatment methods, such as chemotherapy. The main cause of death is the lowered immune system due to the treatments. For instance, through the treatment if the patient infected by the flu, it could be deadly for the patient because of the lack of immune system’s defense mechanism.
What is better than treating cancer patients is to prevent cancer. Eating healthy, staying away from smoking, alcohol, high levels of radiation, regularly doing exercises might play the greatest role in terms of staying clean from cancer.
Bibliography
- “What Is Cancer?” Cancer.gov, 11 Oct. 2021, cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer
- Uk, Cancer Research. Cancer Tests. cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/tests-and-scans
- “Lösemi (Kan Kanseri) Nedir? Lösemi Belirtileri Ve Tedavisi.” Memorial Sağlık Grubu, 20 Mar. 2025, memorial.com.tr/hastaliklar/losemi-belirtileri-ve-tedavisi