Cancer is caused by an accumulation of abnormal cells in specific parts of the body.

Normally, when a cell divides, it produces healthy cells that perform their specific functions faithfully. But sometimes, cell division results in defective daughter cells that have mutations and faulty DNA. These defective cells usually don’t last very long, and die through a process called “apoptosis.”

Cancer begins when instead of dying, the cells divide and produce rapidly. What usually results is a mass of defective cells called a tumor. The cell mass can either be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are those that do not invade adjacent cells or travel to other parts of the body. In this sense, benign tumors are less dangerous than malignant ones. Malignant tumors invade adjacent cells and spread to other areas.    

To classify if a tumor is benign or malignant, a biopsy is performed—a procedure where a tissue sample is taken from the suspected cell mass and is sent to the lab for analysis.

Cancer can involve practically any part of the body: breast, lung, colon, bone, throat, etc.

The cancer is named for the part where it first appears. For example, when a malignant tumor is in the breast, it’s called breast cancer. However, cancer cells can spread to other organs and develop new tumors in those locations. This process is called metastasis. If breast cancer cells travel to the throat, it’s not called throat cancer. It’s called metastatic breast cancer.

Cancer In The Philippines

Cancer is the third leading cause of death in the Philippines (after heart and vascular diseases).

In a study by the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Human Genetics, 4 Filipinos die of cancer every hour. And for every 100,000 of the population, 189 are afflicted by cancer.

In men, the 5 most common cancers are those that involve the lungs (19.5%), colorectum (14.2%), prostate (11.8%), liver (11%), blood (5%). For women, the 5 most common cancers involve the breasts (31.4%), cervix (9.1%), colorectum (8.7%), lungs (6.5%), ovary (6.4%).

For a third-world country like the Philippines, being diagnosed with cancer exacts a heavy financial toll on the individual and family involved. The Philippine government, through the Universal Healthcare Act and the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, aims to promote access to financial support and appropriate healthcare.

The National Integrated Cancer Control Act mandates the creation of regional cancer centers to provide available cancer care in the country. It also establishes a cancer assistance fund to give financial support for patients and their families. This is in addition to an expanded Philhealth benefits package. The law, which fosters awareness campaigns, also promotes the training of more oncologists and expert professionals to serve cancer patients.  

Types Of Cancer

We classify cancers according to the organ primarily affected. There are over 100 cancer sites, and they are generally classified into five:

 Carcinomas 

These types of cancers involve the tissue that lines the body’s internal organs, glands, and cavities. It’s the most common class of cancer and includes breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer. 

Sarcomas

The word comes from a Greek word that means “fleshy growth.” These cancers target the bone, cartilage, nerves, tendons, joints, blood vessels, lymph vessels, and other connective tissues.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. It occurs when there is an overproduction of abnormal white blood cells.    

Lymphoma

As the name implies, these cancers target the lymphatic system, a network of glands and tissues that help produce immune cells as well as remove wastes and toxins from the body.

Central Nervous System Cancers

These types attack the brain and the spinal cord.

Stages Of Cancer

Knowing how advanced the condition is, is vital for several reasons. First, the type of treatment the doctor will recommend depends on how far along the patient is. Second, prognoses and predictions of recovery are often contingent on the stage of cancer. And finally, knowing the cancer stage helps different doctors intelligently discuss a patient’s treatment plan and condition.

A variety of medical procedures is used to stage cancer. They may include:

·         Biopsy—which extracts a sample tissue that can be studied in a lab.

·         MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)—where powerful magnets and radio waves are used to create a picture of the tumor.

·         CT (Computerized Tomography) Scan—where X-rays give a visual representation of the condition.

·         Ultrasound—where hi-frequency sound waves detect what is inside a patient’s body.

·         Blood tests—where a sample blood specimen is taken from the patient and sent to the lab.

The TNM System

The letters “T,” “N,” and “M” are three different factors that doctors look into in order to appraise the status of cancer. “T” stands for Tumor, “N” is for “Node” and “M” is for “Metastasis.”

T =  is a measurement of the size of the tumor and its effect on nearby tissues. It has a value of “0” to “4,” where the higher the number associated with “T,” the bigger the tumor is. For example, “T3” is bigger than “T1.”

N = is a measurement of the effect of the cancer cells on the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are glands located in specific parts of the body and are useful for filtering toxins out of the body. They are found in areas like the neck, armpits, groin, and between the lungs. The lymph nodes swell when the body is fighting an infection.    

When a cancer cell breaks away from a primary tumor, it may end up in one of the lymph nodes. The number associated with “N,” which has a value from “0” to “3,” refers to the spread of cancer cells to the different lymph nodes of the body. A higher number means a greater number of lymph nodes that have been found with cancer cells.

 M = is a statement about whether or not cancer has spread to other organs. There are only two possible values, “0” or “1.” Zero means cancer hasn’t spread, while “1” means cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body.

Cancer Staging

Doctors look at the TNM values and other factors like cancer cell grade, biomarker, and tumor genetics to come up with a specific stage and aggressiveness of cancer. Cancer stages go from Stage I to Stage IV. (Some cancer types have a “Stage 0” where the tumor is relatively isolated and has not spread to nearby tissues. This type is very curable.)

Stage I (Early Stage Cancer)

When a tumor is caught early and has not become deeply embedded in nearby tissues, it would be Stage I. The tumor is relatively small and the cancer cells have not spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage II

The tumor has grown slightly but hasn’t yet spread to surrounding tissues. Depending on the type of cancer, Stage II may involve spread to the lymph nodes that are closest to the primary tumor.

Stage III

The tumor has grown a little bigger and is affecting adjacent tissues. Cancer cells have definitely reached the lymph nodes but not the other parts of the body.

Stage IV (Advanced Cancer)

This means that cancer cells have metastasized and spread to another part of the body, where a secondary tumor is found.  

Symptoms Of Cancer

Because cancer can potentially affect many different sites, it is difficult to outline a specific set of symptoms for it. The fact that ailments can often be explained by other more common illnesses and conditions make the job more difficult.

For example, fever, cough, fatigue, or general weakness, which present in many types of cancers, can be easily explained by some other malady.

The signs and symptoms vary widely. A tumor’s size and location drive many of the symptoms. For example, when a tumor grows to a considerable size that it presses on some other organ or nerve, the patient is bound to experience pain as a result.

At times, cancer could disrupt normal biological processes. Cancer cells may lead to the production of substances that affect the regular functioning of the body—like when lung cancers raise calcium levels in the blood and, as a result, cause dizziness and weakness.

Watch for sudden and unexplained changes in the body—such as unexplained weight loss. Persistent coughing, especially when attended by blood, or any bloody discharge whether through urine or stool, can be a symptom.

At times, cancer may not even present any symptoms until it is in the advanced stages. So a regular check-up or screening, especially for those 50 years old and above, would increase the chances of catching cancers early.

Treatment Options For Cancer

There are several options for treating cancer. It will depend on the type, as well as the size of the tumor and the aggressiveness of the cancer cells in each particular case. The patient and his/her doctor will discuss the pros and cons of each treatment or the possible combination of treatments that will best promote the health and well-being of the patient.

Here are the major treatment options for cancer:

Surgery

Especially when cancer hasn’t spread to other parts of the body, surgery is a primary treatment for many cancers. It is the process of removing malignant tumors from the body. With today’s improved and less invasive techniques, the surgery has fewer risks and less time required for recovery.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to deal with cancer cells. It can either kill cancer cells and cure the patient, prevent its return, or slow down its growth and reproduction.

Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with other procedures like surgery. For example, it can be used as “neoadjuvant chemotherapy” which prepares the tumor for surgery or radiation therapy. Or, it can also be utilized as “adjuvant chemotherapy,” finishing off all the remaining cancer cells after surgery.

Chemo schedules vary and the drugs are often administered intravenously, (although some can be taken orally, by injection or even topically.)

It is widely known that chemo causes plenty of side effects. Patients might experience hair loss, nausea, mouth sores, and general weakness and fatigue. This because when the drugs kill cancer cells, it is also killing other healthy cells of the body.

 Radiation Therapy

This uses heavy doses of high-powered energy beams to attack cancer cells. Radiation Therapy works by damaging the DNA inside cancer cells. This prevents them from growing and reproducing. Ultimately, the cancer cells die and are expelled from the body. 

The radiation comes from a machine that beams high-energy particles to specific body parts. This is called “external beam radiation.” There’s also a different type of radiation treatment where the patient ingests, is injected, or gets an IV. The solid or liquid agent becomes the source of radiation. This agent hunts for the cancer cells and eliminates them.    

 Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy helps cancer patients by helping their immune systems fight cancer cells. There are different interventions that boost the body’s natural fighting ability. They include using T-cells, monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, and immunomodulators. All these support the immune system by helping it “outsmart” cancer cells.

Bone Marrow Transplant

For blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma, a bone marrow transplant can be an effective way to combat the disease. The process starts with chemo or radiation therapy. As mentioned before, these procedures kill cancer cells, but doing so also damages and kill healthy cells.

As a result, the patient will need an infusion of healthy blood cells that will replace the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. The “transplant” is really not surgery but works like an intravenous blood drip. The healthy cells will then find their way into your bone marrow and start producing healthy cancer-free blood cells. 

Hormone Therapy

Some cancers are hormone-sensitive, that is, the cancer cells grow and reproduce according to the hormone levels in the body. Hormone therapy uses medicines or drugs that hinder the production of hormones or disrupt their effect on cancer cell production. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer are some of the conditions where hormone therapy has proven effective.

The key to effective cancer management is early detection. The earlier the cancer is caught, the better is the prognosis is.

BloodWorks Lab offers cancer screening packages that detect prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and colon cancer. If you or any member of your family suspect anything malicious is afoot, you can come in for a test. Our branches are in Alabang, Katipunan, and Cebu.

In addition to cancer screening, we are also proud to be the first laboratory in the Philippines to offer neurological tests like the Anti-NMDA Receptor Antibody Test and the Anti Acetylcholine Receptor (lgG) Antibody Test.   

BloodWorks Lab is your one-stop-shop for all your blood test needs.