Late Diagnosis of Cancer

Cancer is a disease where genetic mutations in certain cells change so that the cells grow out of control, forming a tumor or, in the case of blood borne cancers, a body of cells that are cancerous but aren't connected to one another. The end result is that the cancer cells use the nutrition and take up the space usually reserved for normal cells and the person eventually dies without treatment. Cancer is also known as a malignancy.

The causes of cancer include heredity, and environmental exposures, such as cigarette smoke, benzene and related organic compounds, aflatoxins (poisonous mushrooms and peanut plant toxins), viral illnesses, radiation illnesses, and exposure to sunlight.

The three most common cancers in men in the US include prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. In women, the three most common cancers include colon cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer. In other parts of the world, heredity and environmental exposures are different so that, for example, in Japan, gastric cancer is very common but rare in the US.

The symptoms are sometimes what tell whether or not you have cancer. If your doctor recognizes these symptoms are related to cancer and does the appropriate tests, you can be diagnosed with cancer at an early stage and can be cured of cancer. If there is a late diagnosis of cancer because the doctor fails to recognize the symptoms, the cancer can be diagnosed too late or not at all and you can die from the cancer or suffer a protracted course. Some cancers, arguably, have few or no symptoms until they are advanced. This is especially true of gallbladder and pancreatic cancer.

Most cancers have pain in the affected area, fatigue, chills and fever, loss of appetite and weight, malaise, and night sweats. The individual feels ill and may or may not feel a lump or any tumor.

The most common tests a doctor should do vary according to the type and location of the cancer. Commonly run tests include a CT scan or MRI scan of the affected area for use in locating the cancer, a biopsy of the tumor, blood testing for tumor markers, chest x-ray, complete blood count, and a bone marrow biopsy. The biopsy is the best way to define the type and grade of cancer. The grade of the cancer tells how aggressive the cancer is. It can determine whether or not you survive the cancer.

If you have been found to have cancer, you need to discuss the stage and grade of the cancer with the doctor so as to know the type of appropriate treatment. If there was a late diagnosis of cancer, there may be a crisis of faith with the doctor and you might wish for a referral to a cancer specialist who can manage your cancer with the utmost of care and planning. Knowing the risks and benefits can help you decide what the best treatment is for your type and grade of cancer.

The treatment of cancer depends on the stage, grade and type of cancer. Some cancers respond well to surgical excision alone because they are encapsulated and/or slow growing. Others need chemotherapy, genetic therapy or radiation so that extra cancer cells can be destroyed which couldn't be gotten rid of through surgery alone.

The type of treatment depends on whether or not the cancer is localized. Certain skin cancers are well localized and are able to be removed just by surgery. Certain breast cancers, when discovered early enough are able to be treated with surgery and possibly targeted (receptor) therapy after that. This type of treatment attacks hormonal receptors on the breast cancer and keep the cancer from growing.

The prognosis of your cancer depends on where the origin of the cancer is as well as the stage and grade of the cancer. If the doctor diagnoses the cancer early enough, many people have a chance of survival. If the cancer is a late diagnosis of cancer, the chances of survival go way down.