What is cancer?
Cancer is an umbrella term for a large number of diseases characterized by the formation of abnormal cells. These abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and have the ability to destroy and infiltrate normal body tissue. Cancer can often spread to other areas of the body.
What are the symptoms of cancer?
The symptoms of cancer vary and can include:
- Chronic fatigue
- A lump or thickened area that can be felt under the skin
- Weight fluctuations
- Skin changes, such as darkening, yellowing, or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, and changes to existing moles
- Changes in bladder or bowel habits
- Nausea
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing, and a persistent cough
- Frequent indigestion
- Consistent unexplained joint and muscle pain, night sweats, and fevers
- Unexplained bruising or bleeding
If you have concerns, it’s best to visit South Shore Surgical for an evaluation.
What causes cancer?
The cause of cancer isn’t clear, but it’s related to mutations to the DNA within your cells. Errors and mutations in your cells impact how they grow and divide and stop normal cell function, allowing the cell to turn cancerous.
Gene mutations can instruct cells to allow rapid growth, fail to stop uncontrolled cell growth, and make mistakes when repairing DNA errors. Gene mutations might develop or occur due to various associated factors, such as:
- Heredity
- Radiation
- Smoking
- Viruses
- Cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens)
Other factors that might play a role in gene mutations include obesity, hormones, chronic inflammation, and a lack of exercise.
What are the treatments for cancer?
Once cancer is properly diagnosed with a number of tests, such as a physical exam; lab tests and blood work; MRIs and imaging testing; and biopsies, Dr. Klonsky devises your personalized treatment plan.
The goals of cancer treatment are usually to kill or remove the cancer cells from your body, relieve your symptoms, and improve your quality of life and general health.
Cancer treatment often comes in various methods, such as chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, nutrition, and surgery. Surgery is often necessary to physically remove the cancer cells from your body. Dr. Klonsky provides highly effective surgeries for different cancers, such as colon cancer.
Both traditional surgeries and advanced minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries are available at South Shore Surgical.
Dr. Klonsky also provides hyperbaric medicine (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) which can also be helpful in the treatment of cancer. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment involves the medical use of oxygen at an ambient pressure greater than sea level atmospheric pressure to enhance the availability of oxygen in the body.
Cancer can be daunting and overwhelming. Book online or call South Shore Surgical for compassionate support.
