Medical Questions » Cancer Questions » Question No. 187
| Question: | Several members of my family have had cancer of different sorts, and this scares me. What causes cancer? How can I avoid it? |
| Answer: | Cancer, the crab of astrology, is so named because the ancients could see the cancer clawing its way into the normal tissue, destroying everything in its path. Doctors now understand a great deal about cancer, but we do not fully understand what starts the process.
Although the specific cause of cancer is unknown, sun exposure, a low-fibre diet and smoking are well-known precipitating factors.
Cancer occurs when otherwise normal cells start multiplying at an excessive rate, and the cells made by the rapid process of reproduction are abnormal in shape, size and function. Although they may have some slight resemblance to the cells around them, cancer cells cannot perform the correct work of that type of cell, and they prevent the normal cells around them from working properly, thus enabling the cancerous cells to spread.
Cancer is not just one disease process; dozens of different types of cancer occur in different parts of the body, and each type causes different problems and responds differently to treatment. Several different types of cancer can be found in the lungs for example. |
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