What is Cancer? What Causes Cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.
Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign.

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Common Cancer Types

This list of common cancer types includes cancers that are diagnosed with the greatest frequency in the United States, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers:

Bladder Cancer		Lung Cancer
Breast Cancer		Melanoma
Colon and Rectal Cancer		Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Endometrial Cancer		Pancreatic Cancer
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer		Prostate Cancer
Leukemia		Thyroid Cancer

Cancer incidence and mortality statistics reported by the American Cancer Society¹ and other resources were used to create the list. To qualify as a common cancer, the estimated annual incidence for 2010 had to be 40,000 cases or more.

The most common type of cancer on the list is lung cancer, with more than 222,000 new cases expected in the United States in 2010. The cancer with the lowest incidence is leukemia. Leukemia as a cancer type includes acute lymphoblastic (or lymphoid) leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelogenous (or myeloid) leukemia, and other forms of leukemia. It is estimated that 43,050 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2010, with chronic lymphocytic leukemia being the most common type (approximately 14,990 new cases).

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cancer

Defining Cancer

Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start - for example, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer; cancer that begins in basal cells of the skin is called basal cell carcinoma.

Cancer types can be grouped into broader categories. The main categories of cancer include:

• Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
• Sarcoma - cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
• Leukemia - cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
• Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.
• Central nervous system cancers - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

(For definitions of other cancer-related terms, see NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms.)

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asthma

What Is Asthma?

Asthma (AZ-ma) is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts in childhood. In the United States, more than 22 million people are known to have asthma. Nearly 6 million of these people are children.

Overview

The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. This makes the airways swollen and very sensitive. They tend to react strongly to certain substances that are breathed in.
When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This causes the airways to narrow, and less air flows to your lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways may make more mucus than normal. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow your airways.
This chain reaction can result in asthma symptoms. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are irritated.

Asthma

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Healthy People 2020: The Road Ahead

Making a Difference

Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for promoting health and preventing disease. Since 1979, Healthy People has set and monitored national health objectives to meet a broad range of health needs, encourage collaborations across sectors, guide individuals toward making informed health decisions, and measure the impact of our prevention activity. Currently, Healthy People 2010 is leading the way to achieve increased quality and years of healthy life and the elimination of health disparities.

Now Is the Time

Every 10 years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leverages scientific insights and lessons learned from the past decade, along with new knowledge of current data, trends, and innovations. Healthy People 2020 will reflect assessments of major risks to health and wellness, changing public health priorities, and emerging issues related to our nation's health preparedness and prevention.

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10 Tips For Preventing & Treating Mild Or Moderate Depression

by : Elson M. Haas M.D.

1. Keep a positive attitude toward life. Challenges are opportunities to improve your life. Learn to turn negatives into positives. Look up (not down) at life, and gather the enthusiasm you can.
2. Create a regular exercise program that includes stretching, weights, and aerobic activity. Research has shown that exercise improves hormonal balance and helps to relieve depression.
3. Find ways to access and talk about your feelings and frustrations with friends or loved ones. If that is not easily available or if you are hesitant to "air out" your personal issues, find a compatible counselor.

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started the day with breakfast

Breakfast or breakfast is important to be done. The reason is because during sleep for approximately eight hours our bodies there is no food that enters the body, while activities such as breathing, moving or other light activity is still running. As a result, sugar levels in the body is very low. While the early days of physical activity began to walk, like to travel to the office, thinking or concentration need to be able to perform activities well. All this requires energy and energy obtained from the eaten food.

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