Cancer is an umbrella term for many serious and malignant diseases. In cancer cases, malignant cells grow uncontrollably in parts of the body. These cells can destroy healthy tissue and spread to other areas of the body.
There are different types of cancer, for example:
- Carcinomas: cancer of the epithelial cells (e.g. skin, internal organs)
Sarcomas: cancer of the connective, muscle or bone tissue
- Leukaemia: blood cancer developing in the bone marrow
- Lymphomas: cancer of the lymphatic system
Cancers are often named after the organ or tissue affected, such as colon, breast, or skin cancer. The exact causes of cancer are often unclear and ambiguous. However, there are many risks, such as:
- the lifestyle (e.g. smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise),
- the genetic predisposition (genes that you inherit from your parents),
- environmental influences (e.g. air pollution, radiation, chemicals) or
- a combination of several factors.
A cancer diagnosis involves various tests such as blood tests, imaging (e.g. X-ray, CT, MRI), physical exams and often tissue biopsies to determine the exact type and spread of the disease. An appropriate therapy is selected based on the findings, which can include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or combinations of these.
Modern research and medical advances have already greatly improved the diagnosis and treatment. Early detection plays a crucial role, so that the relevant treatment methods or combined therapies can be started as early as possible, which significantly increases the chances of recovery.
More information on cancer is available on the website gesundheit.gv.at website.