example of an essay about cancer

Essay on Cancer for Students and Children

500+ words essay on cancer.

Cancer might just be one of the most feared and dreaded diseases. Globally, cancer is responsible for the death of nearly 9.5 million people in 2018. It is the second leading cause of death as per the world health organization. As per studies, in India, we see 1300 deaths due to cancer every day. These statistics are truly astonishing and scary. In the recent few decades, the number of cancer has been increasingly on the rise. So let us take a look at the meaning, causes, and types of cancer in this essay on cancer.

Cancer comes in many forms and types. Cancer is the collective name given to the disease where certain cells of the person’s body start dividing continuously, refusing to stop. These extra cells form when none are needed and they spread into the surrounding tissues and can even form malignant tumors. Cells may break away from such tumors and go and form tumors in other places of the patient’s body.

Types of Cancers

As we know, cancer can actually affect any part or organ of the human body. We all have come across various types of cancer – lung, blood, pancreas, stomach, skin, and so many others. Biologically, however, cancer can be divided into five types specifically – carcinoma, sarcoma, melanoma, lymphoma, leukemia.

Among these, carcinomas are the most diagnosed type. These cancers originate in organs or glands such as lungs, stomach, pancreas, breast, etc. Leukemia is the cancer of the blood, and this does not form any tumors. Sarcomas start in the muscles, bones, tissues or other connective tissues of the body. Lymphomas are the cancer of the white blood cells, i.e. the lymphocytes. And finally, melanoma is when cancer arises in the pigment of the skin.

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Causes of Cancer

In most cases, we can never attribute the cause of any cancer to one single factor. The main thing that causes cancer is a substance we know as carcinogens. But how these develop or enters a person’s body will depend on many factors. We can divide the main factors into the following types – biological factors, physical factors, and lifestyle-related factors.

Biological factors involve internal factors such as age, gender, genes, hereditary factors, blood type, skin type, etc. Physical factors refer to environmental exposure of any king to say X-rays, gamma rays, etc. Ad finally lifestyle-related factors refer to substances that introduced carcinogens into our body. These include tobacco, UV radiation, alcohol. smoke, etc. Next, in this essay on cancer lets learn about how we can treat cancer.

Treatment of Cancer

Early diagnosis and immediate medical care in cancer are of utmost importance. When diagnosed in the early stages, then the treatment becomes easier and has more chances of success. The three most common treatment plans are either surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

If there is a benign tumor, then surgery is performed to remove the mass from the body, hence removing cancer from the body. In radiation therapy, we use radiation (rays) to specially target and kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is similar, where we inject the patient with drugs that target and kill the cancer cells. All treatment plans, however, have various side-effects. And aftercare is one of the most important aspects of cancer treatment.

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Essay on Cancer

List of essays on cancer, essay on cancer – introduction, types and conclusion (essay 1 – 150 words), essay on cancer (essay 2 – 250 words), essay on cancer – for school students (essay 3 – 300 words), essay on cancer – for medical students (essay 4 – 400 words), essay on cancer – for science students (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on cancer (essay 6 – 600 words), essay on cancer – written in english (essay 7 – 750 words), essay on cancer – for ias, civil services, upsc, ips and other competitive exams (essay 8 – 1000 words).

Cancer is a disease which is related to the abnormal growth of cells in a particular part of the body. Since the last decade, cancer has become one of the most feared diseases of all times, particularly due to the difficult treatment one has to undergo and the limitations of the treatment in curing this disease during later stages of cancer.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school and college students. Furthermore, those students preparing for IAS, IPS, UPSC, Civil Services and other competitive exams can also increase their knowledge by studying these essays.

Introduction:

Cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases that can develop in almost anywhere in the body. Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.

Types of Cancer:

There are various types of cancer. They include:

1] Breast cancer: This is type of cancer that forms in the cells of the breast.

2] Prostate cancer: This is type of cancer that occurs in a man’s prostate. This is a small walnut sized gland that has the duty of producing seminal fluid.

3] Lung cancer: This is a type of cancer that begins in the lungs and this occurs mostly in people who smoke.

4] Leukemia: A cancer of blood forming tissues, hindering the body’s ability to fight infection.

Conclusion:

We have seen various types of cancer but the types of cancer we have are hundreds but we had mentioned just a few. Each type of cancer comes with various symptoms and various ways of curbing it.

Cancer is a disease that has been around for centuries, but it has never had such an impact on public health as it has now. Cancer is the increase in the number of cells in human beings at an abnormal rate. Doctors have been discussing the reasons behind this increase for the past fifty years. One is tempted to think that there are no reasons behind this occurrence and that it is just a natural phenomenon, people die all the time. Right?

The thing is that the number of cancer cases has increased in the past decades and a lot of this increase is attributed to the influence of different types of radiation. Even though most of the really dangerous substances (or sources of radiation) are not allowed near people. What else can be causing such an increase in cancer cases?

Some doctors have made a discovery regarding cancer that can really help us get rid of this problem. Following down the line of the argumentation presented in the famous “China Study” more doctors are advising their patients to change their diet because it can help  in their fight against cancer. Not only that but a proper diet can also be the best prevention.

When you are a student your metabolism is young so you do not feel the bad effect of your habits as much as older people do but as we age the side effects of our bad choices will become obvious. We can teach ourselves to listen to our bodies and to prevent cancer but to do that we, first of all, have to defeat our habits.

Cancer is uncontrolled and unchecked development of abnormal cells in a part of the body. Cancerous cells develop just like another cell in the body. They, however, keep growing and can form a mass then subsequently becomes tumors. Since cells are present in every part of our body, cancer can also grow in all parts of our body.

Causes of Cancer:

One great scientific mystery in our world is the cause of cancer. Scientists from all over have tried and failed in isolating any particular action, substance or environmental factors that can lead to cancer.

However, scientists all over the world agree that cancer is caused by substances known as carcinogens. These substances are introduced to the body when we are exposed to or consume materials containing them. One of the confirmed sources of carcinogens is exposure to radiation from x-ray machines.

Cancer Treatment:

There are various ways to treat a person infected with cancer. These modes of treatment are chosen depending on the type of cancer, the stage of development and the health peculiarities of the cancer patient. In other cases, several modes of treatment are combined to treat a single patient.

Some of the modes of treating cancer are in fly highlighted below:

1. Surgery to remove Cancerous tumors from the body.

2. Radiation therapy to reduce the growth of cells.

3. Chemotherapy for destroying cancer cells.

4. Stem cell transplant.

Prevention of Cancer:

Just as there are no agreed actions, materials and exposure that causes cancer, there are no generally accepted means of preventing cancer. However, there are certain habits that can limit a person’s exposure.

Some of them are highlighted below:

1. Healthy environment and diet.

2. Reduction of exposure from the sun.

3. Keep your weight low.

4. Avoid the use of tobacco.

Early detection of cancer has been hailed as the most potent way of treating this menace. Though scientists are still in the business of searching for a cure, we as humans can prevent cancer by regular medical check-ups.

Cancer is one of the second largest fatal illnesses across the world. One of the horrific words a human being can listen to is being diagnosed with Cancer. The word Cancer brings alarm and anxiety to the listener. Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in one part of the body which can even spread to other parts if not treated at an early stage. Neoplasms or tumour are the subset of these abnormally grown-up cells which often results in a mass or lump.

What causes Cancer?

Those agents which cause cancer are termed as Carcinogens . These can be classified into physical, chemical and biological. Physical Carcinogens include ultra violet and other ionizing radiations. Food adulterants such as aflatoxin, tobacco smoke, drinking water contaminant such as Arsenic, asbestos etc., are termed as Chemical Carcinogens. Viruses, Bacteria and other parasites which cause infections and eventually lead to Cancer are categorized under Biological Carcinogens. Ageing also causes cancer as the risk of the cellular repair mechanism weakens as we age.

Significant Symptoms of Cancer:

Some of the major symptoms of cancer include unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue, persistent sores that do not heal, changes in the bladder and bowel movements, odd bleeding and discharges, change in voice due to cancer indication in larynx and lumps and bumps on the skin.

Preventive Measures:

Some of the risk factors which needs to be addressed to prevent cancer may include avoidance of tobacco, being overweight or obese, unhealthy eating with less vegetables and greens, physical in-activity, avoiding pollution etc. Apart from the mentioned, vaccination against HPV and Hepatitis B Virus, controlling hazards while at work, reducing exposure to ultra violet and ionizing radiation etc., can help prevent being infected by Cancer.

Assessing the type of cancer and the stage is very important because every cancer type has a different pattern of treatment from surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy . The treatment that is used to relieve the cancer patient from their pain and enhance the quality of life for the patients and their families is termed as Palliative care.

World Health Organization has partnered with UNO and other non-profit organizations to ensure every country is being made aware of the non-communicable diseases and the prevention of cancer and its control. Insights to develop Centers of Excellence to provide quality treatments and to conduct research on the carcinogenesis should be provided to governments and to help the people.

The abnormal cell growth in our body which spreads to other parts as well is what is termed as cancer. Around four lakh of people in India are known to be affected by this disease every year. More so, around half of them are not able to survive as they are usually detected in the last stages of cancer. Hence it is all the more important to educate the people about this disease and its symptoms so that it can be detected early and the lives of the people suffering from it can be saved.

Cancer can affect any body part. The part that is affected gives it the name, for instance, lung cancer which affects the lungs, skin cancer in which the skin is affected and so on. However, we can broadly divide cancer into four types. The first one is Sarcoma which is known to affect the blood vessels, bones, muscles cartilages and connective tissues. The second type of cancer is Carcinoma which affects the internal organs of the body or the skin. The third type is the Lymphoma. This cancer affects the lymph glands and the lymph nodes. The last type in which cancer can be categorised is Leukaemia which largely affects the parts forming blood such as the bone marrow.

Symptoms of Cancer:

Although no particular cause is known to trigger this disease, some activities have been associated as the cause of different types of cancer. The first and foremost is smoking. Excess smoking affects the entire respiratory system thereby leading to the onset of lung cancer. More so chewing tobacco is also attributed to giving rise to mouth and throat cancer. Similarly, alcohol is attributed to be the cause of stomach, liver and gallbladder cancer. Summarising it, all the ill habits of society and urbanisation have been attributed to this disease. Even radiations coming from X-ray machines can prove harmful and lead to cancer. That is why there are proper laws an protection in place when exposing people to these harmful radiations.

Treatments Available:

If detected in early stages, cancer can surely be curable. Surgery is one of the primary steps of curing this disease. If required, doctors remove the body part affected such as the uterus, gallbladder or the breast. Thereafter, through radiotherapy, the cancerous cells on the other affected parts of the body are killed so that they don’t spread to other parts. Chemotherapy is done using the strong chemical in order to kill the cancerous cells. Other methods such as tumour suppressing genes are used in different types of cancer as may be the need advised by the doctors. Whatever the method, it is extremely difficult to go through the pain and social stigma such as loss hair which comes alongside the treatment of cancer.

Living with this Disease:

It is indeed very difficult to live with this disease as not only this disease is not fully curable but the treatment is so tough that it scares even the toughest of individuals. We, as a society, must support the people suffering from cancer and help in their difficult times. We must not discriminate them and must understand that is already suffering a lot and must not do anything which further aggravates their sufferings.

Cancer is a severe disease in which there is abnormal growth of cell that spreads around the human body. Many people in the world are struggling with this disease. Consistently around 10 million cases are analyzed. These number of cases are expected to increase around 20 million by 2020. It turns into the most widely recognized reasons for death. Due to abnormal cell growth, it develops & affects the overall body weight. Prolonged cough and abnormal bleeding are some symptoms of this severe disease. The developed abnormal cells first make their impact on organs then slowly moved as poison. Cancer disease can be identified in the beginning periods. The medical professionals are still trying to catch this disease.

One of the main causes of cancer is smoking. Other causes include tobacco, consumption of alcohol, obesity, lack of physical activities, exposure to UV radiations, etc. Age factor and changes in genes are yet other factors that cause cancer.

Cancer has different types which can be divided into various forms:

i. Skin Cancer:

It is the most common type of cancer which can be seen in many people. Every year more than 1 million people are affected by skin cancer. Skin cancer happens due to the overexposure from the sun. The thicker ozone layers directly harms our skin, which increases the chances of skin cancer.

ii. Lung Cancer:

This type of cancer is related to the cells inside the lungs. The symptoms of this type of cancer are chest pain & sudden weight loss. It is also known as lung carcinoma. As a process of metastasis, the growth of abnormal cell growth spread inside the lungs. Smoking is a fundamental driver of Lung cases.

iii. Kidney Cancer:

Another name of kidney cancer is renal cancer. Renal Cell Carcinoma and Transitional Cell Carcinoma are the types of kidney cancer. This development of cancer happens after the age of 40 years. Smoking can twofold the danger of kidney malignant growth.

iv. Leukemia:

This cancer starts developing in the bone marrow, which leads to a high number of abnormal white cells. Acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphocytic leukemia are the sorts of leukemia. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy can be used as the treatment for Leukemia.

Cancer Staging:

It is important to understand the staging factor of this severe disease. Diagnosis of cancer in early stages helps to tackle this disease by proper treatments. During the initial stages of cancer, proper surgeries or radiotherapy can help to overcome cancer. When the broken cancer cells move to other parts of the human body, then advance treatment is suggested by the professionals. But when a patient is in the final stages of cancer, he needs a treatment which covers his whole body. Chemotherapy is a therapy which is used to circulate the bloodstream. Professional doctors use various test techniques to identify the stages of cancer. Stages are used to describe the severity of cancer.

In the initial stage, cancer can be prevented through medication, proper surgeries and light treatment. In the advance stages of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy is useful. Above all, the best way to keep cancer away is to stay away from smoking and tobacco, eat healthy food and a lot of green vegetables, and do some physical exercise daily.

It is very difficult for a cancer patient to fight with the final stages of cancer. To deal with this severe problem cancer symptoms should never be ignored. More than 70% of cases are seen only due to smoking. At every stage, it is essential that everyone must adopt a healthy diet plan & exercise daily to prevent this disease. A person who has a good and healthy lifestyle can fight with cancer more strongly.

Current trends in global health mention cancer. Cancer is currently one of the leading causes of death globally. It is an illness in which abnormal cell growth develops and affects parts of the human body as it advances, it has the potential to spread from one part of the body to the other. It is a chronic illness that imposes a great economic burden on a nation because its management is costly. Cancer occurs in different parts of the body and are classified according to where it has affected. In India, men are mostly acted by lung, oral, lip and neck cancers whereas women are affected by cervical, breast and ovarian cancer. The detection procedure varies with the type of cancer while the treatment varies with the stage of the cancer progression. Mostly early stages of cancer have better prognosis compared to late stages of cancer.

There are modifiable and non-modifiable factors that predispose an individual to cancer. Non modifiable factors include age and genetics. With an increase in age, the rate of cancer incidence increases. The genetic predisposition to cancer increases the incidences of suffering the disease. Modifiable factors include lifestyle habits like drinking and smoking tobacco which increase the incidences of lung, oral, esophageal among other cancers. Diet is also a predisposing factor especially one that is less in vitamin supplements.

Physical inactivity and obesity predispose to cancers of the colon, breast and others. Sexual activity in women with multiple sexual partners predisposes them to cervical cancer due to the transmission of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). The environment also predisposes to cancer because of the chemicals, radicals and radiations that interact with human beings.

Detection of Cancer:

The detection varies with the type of cancer and so screening is done for each type differently. It is advisable that people get regular checkups of the whole body so that early detection facilitates effective and curative treatment. Screening of cancer is done using detailed examination of the physique, laboratory and histology tests, radiological and magnetic imaging techniques among other methods.

The campaigns against cancer advocate for early detection by teaching the public on the early signs of cancer. In breast cancer awareness for example, the public is made aware of physical examination of the breast and if they detect any abnormal growth or lump, they are to seek further investigation. Early detection is important because it results in successful treatment. In the detection, the cancer staging is done, which is usually four stages, stage one, two, three and four. Stage one has the best prognosis whereas stage four has the poorest prognosis.

Treatment of Cancer:

Once cancer is detected, a range of treatment options is provided. Treatment depends on the types of cancer and the staging. It can be treated by surgery whereby excision of the abnormal growth is done. Surgery is done for non-hematological cancers and those that have not metastasized to other parts of the body. An example of surgery is mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

Chemotherapy is another treatment option that involves the administration of anticancer medication that eliminate the abnormal cells in the body. Another treatment option is radiation therapy that uses ionizing radiations to destroy cancer cells. Radiation is also used to make tumors small. It is used to treat solid tumors and it depends on the sensitivity of the tumor to the radiations. It is targeted at the nucleic acid destruction in the tumor cells.

Consequences of Cancer:

Cancer is a chronic illness that could result in very serious consequences even with treatment. Cachexia is the extreme wasting of the body that causes death in cancer patients. Economic burden to both the individual and the nation is experienced in cancer treatment because the treatment modalities are costly. The economic burden results in decline of the nation’s economy and increased healthcare costs to the population.

Mental illnesses result from cancer because it is a terminal illness and most patients become mentally unstable upon diagnosis. The quality of health is affected in a country when there is high incidences of cancer and the performance is greatly affected, which cause poverty and economic crisis for individuals.

Cancer is a serious illness that impacts the lives of people and the nation negatively. It is evident that cancer has diverse treatment options but the problem is that people do not go for checkups. Checkups are important in early detection, which usually results in successful treatment and less burden of cancer in a nation and in individuals.

Cancer is basically an agglomeration of various diseases that involves the abnormal growth of cells with the ability to spread or invade other body parts. Cancers are quite different from benign tumours in that the latter does not spread or invade other body parts. Some of the many symptoms and signs of cancer include abnormal bleeding, a lump, weight loss that is unusual, prolonged cough and bowel movement change. Even though these listed symptoms and signs of cancer, they might be caused by other things so it is necessary to be diagnosed. Today, we have more than 100 various kinds of cancer that affect us humans.

History of Cancer:

It is believed that cancer has been in existence for a majority if not all of the history of man. Breast cancer was the first form of cancer that was recorded and this happened around 1600 BC in Egypt. Between 460 BC and 370 BC, Hippocrates spent time analysing various types of cancer and referred to them as crayfish or crab. The name was as a result of the crab-like look of the malignant tumour and the lateral extension of the distended veins and tumours.

Factors Causing Cancer:

It has been discovered that the major cause of deaths as a result of cancer is the use of tobacco and it accounts for about 22 percent of the total number of deaths due to cancer. Poor diet, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption and a lack of exercise and physical activities accounts for another 10 percent of deaths caused by cancer. Some other causes and factors that contribute to cancer include environmental pollutants, ionizing radiation exposure and certain infections.

In most developing countries, infections like hepatitis B, Helicobacter pylori, papillomavirus infection of humans, Hepatitis C, HIV and Epstein Barr contribute to fifteen percent of all cancers. All of the factors listed above change the cell genes. There are always a lot of genetic changes before the development of cancer. About 10% of all cancers are as a result of genetic defects that are inherited from a parent. Asides the symptoms and signs that are used to detect cancer, screening tests are also a good way of detecting cancer. Cancer is normally thoroughly investigated using medical imaging; it is then confirmed through biopsy.

Development of Cancer:

A tumour or neoplasm is a collection of cells which have gone through growth that is not regulated and most times form a lump or mass. Every tumour cell exhibits the six important characters that are necessary for the production of the malignant tumour.

The six characteristics are:

1. Cell division and growth without all the signals that are proper.

2. Continuous division and growth even though the signals given are contrary.

3. Cell death that is usually programmed is avoided.

4. The divisions of the cell are quite limitless in number.

5. The construction of blood vessel is promoted.

6. The tissues are invaded and metastases are formed.

Cancer Prevention:

The prevention of a lot of cancers can be ensured by trying to maintain a weight that is healthy, not smoking, consuming a lot of whole grains, fruits and vegetable, avoiding the consumption of a lot of alcohol, reduction in the amount of red and processed meat that is consumed, getting vaccinated against some infectious diseases and the avoidance of too much exposure to sunlight. It is sometimes useful that there is early detection in cases of colorectal and cervical cancer and this can be achieved through screening. The usefulness of breast cancer screening is highly controversial.

The treatment of cancer is usually done by combining surgery, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and chemotherapy. A very important element of care is the management of symptoms and pain. In cases of advanced disease, palliative care is of utmost importance. The extent of the disease at the commencement of treatment and also the form of cancer that is involved go a long way to determine the odds of survival. Using the adopted survival rate at five years, children that were under the age of 15 when they were diagnosed have an average rate of survival of 80% in most developed countries. In the US, the average rate of survival for the five year period is 66%.

90.5 million  people were living with different cancers in 2015. It has been reported that every year, close to 15 million reports of new cancer cases are filed. These do not include the cases of skin cancer. Cancer results in more than eight million deaths every year which is about 15.7% of the total number of deaths every year.

In males, prostate cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer are the most widespread cancer types. In females, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and lung cancer are the most widespread cancer types. Apart from melanoma, if we include skin cancer in the amount of new cases of cancer every year, it is going to be 40% of the total number of cases.

Brain tumours and lymphoblastic leukemia that is acute are the most widespread cancer types in children but in Africa, lymphoma that is no-Hodgkin is the most widespread. The total number of children that are under the age of 15 that ended up being diagnosed with one type of cancer or the other in 2012 is around 165,000.

With an increase in age, it has been seen that the risk of getting cancer also increases significantly and the number and occurrence of cases of cancer in developed countries in more than the number and occurrence of cancer cases in other countries. The change in lifestyle and increase in the number of people living to a very old age in countries that are developing contributes to the increase in the rate of the occurrence of cancer. Cancer is believed to have a financial cost of up to 1.16 trillion dollars every year.

Cancer can be extremely dangerous when it is not discovered early and when adequate and proper care and attention is not given to the treatment. Therefore it is very important to go for regularly screening to find out if there is need for caution or treatment.

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104 Cancer Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Cancer is a complex and devastating disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Writing an essay on this topic allows for a deeper understanding of the various aspects of cancer, including its causes, prevention, treatment, and impact on individuals and society. Here are 104 cancer essay topic ideas and examples to guide and inspire your writing:

• The history of cancer research and treatment: From ancient times to modern advancements.
• The role of genetics in cancer development: Exploring inherited and acquired genetic mutations.
• Environmental factors and their association with cancer risk: Analyzing the impact of pollution, radiation, and lifestyle choices.
• The most common types of cancer: In-depth exploration of breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and other prevalent cancers.
• Childhood cancer: Understanding the unique challenges and treatment options for pediatric patients.
• The emotional and psychological impact of cancer on patients and their families.
• The economics of cancer: Assessing the financial burden on patients and healthcare systems.
• The impact of cancer on caregiver mental health: Examining the emotional toll on those who support cancer patients.
• The role of exercise and nutrition in cancer prevention and recovery.
• The development and effectiveness of cancer vaccines: Discussing breakthroughs and future prospects.
• The influence of lifestyle choices on cancer risk: Tobacco, alcohol, diet, and exercise.
• The stigma surrounding cancer: Addressing societal attitudes and misconceptions.
• Alternative therapies for cancer treatment: Exploring complementary medicine and its potential benefits.
• The ethics of experimental cancer treatments: Balancing patient rights and scientific progress.
• Cancer prevention strategies in low-income countries: Identifying challenges and potential solutions.
• The impact of cancer on workplace productivity: Analyzing the economic consequences for employees and employers.
• Cancer survivors' quality of life: Examining the long-term physical and emotional effects.
• The role of support groups and counseling in cancer care: Assessing their benefits and limitations.
• Cancer and gender: Investigating the disparities in cancer incidence, treatment, and outcomes.
• The psychological impact of cancer on children and adolescents.
• The role of technology in early cancer detection: Discussing advancements in screening methods.
• The impact of cancer on sexual health and intimacy: Addressing the challenges and available support.
• The correlation between cancer and mental health disorders: Analyzing the reciprocal relationship.
• The impact of cancer on fertility and reproductive choices: Exploring the options available to patients.
• The intersection of cancer and chronic diseases: Investigating the complexities of dual diagnoses.
• The role of palliative care in cancer treatment: Discussing end-of-life care and patient comfort.
• The influence of social media on cancer awareness and fundraising campaigns.
• The role of governmental policies in cancer prevention and control.
• Cancer and the elderly population: Addressing unique challenges and treatment approaches.
• The impact of race and ethnicity on cancer disparities: Investigating socioeconomic and cultural factors.
• The effects of cancer on children's education and academic development.
• The role of artificial intelligence in cancer diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Cancer prevention campaigns: Analyzing their effectiveness and potential limitations.
• The impact of cancer on sexual minorities: Investigating disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and support.
• The role of spirituality and faith in cancer patients' coping mechanisms.
• Cancer prevention in the workplace: Assessing occupational hazards and protective measures.
• The correlation between cancer and obesity: Exploring the link and potential interventions.
• The impact of cancer on siblings: Addressing the emotional and practical challenges.
• The role of precision medicine in personalized cancer treatment: Discussing targeted therapies.
• The influence of media portrayal on public perception of cancer and cancer patients.
• The impact of cancer on caregivers' professional lives: Analyzing the challenges and potential support systems.
• Cancer and the LGBTQ+ community: Investigating unique challenges and disparities in healthcare access.
• The role of music and art therapy in cancer care: Assessing their benefits and limitations.
• The correlation between cancer and socioeconomic status: Analyzing the disparities in diagnosis and outcomes.
• The impact of cancer on young adults: Discussing fertility preservation and long-term survivorship issues.
• Cancer and the rural population: Addressing barriers to access and treatment options.
• The role of emotional support animals in cancer care: Investigating their benefits and ethical considerations.
• The impact of cancer on intimate partner relationships: Addressing the challenges and available resources.
• The influence of mindfulness and meditation on cancer patients' well-being.
• The impact of cancer on military veterans: Analyzing the intersection of post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer.
• Cancer and the incarcerated population: Addressing the challenges and potential solutions.
• The role of patient advocacy in cancer care: Discussing the importance of empowering patients.
• Cancer prevention through public health initiatives: Assessing community-based interventions.
• The correlation between cancer and air pollution: Investigating the link and potential policy implications.
• The impact of cancer on body image and self-esteem: Addressing psychological and social consequences.
• Cancer and the transgender population: Exploring unique challenges and healthcare disparities.
• The role of social determinants of health in cancer outcomes: Analyzing the influence of socioeconomic factors.
• Cancer and the homeless population: Addressing the barriers to access and supportive care.
• The impact of cancer on the LGBTQ+ youth: Investigating mental health disparities and support systems.
• Cancer prevention in minority populations: Analyzing cultural factors and tailored interventions.
• The role of exercise in cancer rehabilitation: Discussing the benefits of physical activity during and after treatment.
• Cancer and the refugee population: Addressing the challenges and barriers to healthcare.
• The impact of cancer on veterans' mental health: Analyzing post-traumatic stress disorder and survivorship.
• The correlation between cancer and sleep disturbances: Investigating the link and potential interventions.
• Cancer and the disabled population: Addressing unique challenges and supportive care.
• The role of artificial intelligence in cancer prognosis: Discussing predictive models and decision support systems.
• Cancer prevention through HPV vaccination: Analyzing the impact on cervical and other related cancers.
• The impact of cancer on children's social development and peer relationships.
• Cancer and the prison population: Addressing the disparities in access and treatment.
• The role of telemedicine in cancer care: Discussing remote consultations and monitoring.
• Cancer prevention in the aging population: Analyzing challenges and tailored interventions.
• The correlation between cancer and smoking: Investigating the link and effective cessation strategies.
• Cancer and mental health: Exploring the reciprocal relationship and potential interventions.
• The impact of cancer on the LGBTQ+ elderly population: Addressing unique challenges and supportive care.
• Cancer prevention through lifestyle modifications: Analyzing the role of diet, exercise, and stress management.
• The role of genetic counseling in cancer risk assessment: Discussing the benefits and ethical considerations.
• Cancer and environmental justice: Analyzing disparities in exposure to carcinogens.
• The impact of cancer on adolescents' educational attainment and career prospects.
• Cancer and the indigenous population: Addressing cultural and access barriers to care.
• The role of social media influencers in cancer awareness campaigns: Assessing their impact and ethical considerations.
• Cancer prevention through workplace policies: Analyzing the importance of occupational safety measures.

These essay topic ideas offer a wide range of possibilities for exploring the complex and multifaceted nature of cancer. Depending on your interests and expertise, you can choose a topic that resonates with you and delve into it with extensive research, analysis, and critical thinking. Remember to approach the topic with sensitivity and empathy, as cancer affects millions of lives and demands a compassionate approach to understanding and addressing its challenges.

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• National Cancer Awareness Day: Empowering Hope and Health

Coveted as one of the most notorious diseases in the world, cancer has known to be one of the leading causes of death across the world. Cancer in any form is life-threatening and people often shy away from discussing it. However, cancer awareness can be of great benefit to the common people.

Long Essay on Cancer

In this long essay on cancer, we are providing you with cancer meaning, speech on cancer awareness. Go through this cancer essay to get a complete overview of this deadly disease.

In a recent study conducted in 2018, it was found that around 9.5 million people died that year owing to cancer. The World Health Organisation has revealed that cancer is the second leading cause of death across the world. The statistics in India are also no better and as per recent figures about 1300 people die every day owing to cancer of different types. Cancer types and causes have seen a steady increase in the past decade which does not bode well for the world population.

Meaning of Cancer

Before we proceed in this essay on cancer, we must understand cancer's meaning or what exactly is cancer? Cancer is the term given collectively to any and all forms of unregulated cell growth. Normally, the cells inside our body follow a definitive cycle from generation to death. However, in a person suffering from cancer, this cycle is unchecked and hence the cell cycle passes through the checkpoints unhinged and the cells continue to grow.

Types of Cancer

Now, that we have a preliminary understanding of the meaning of cancer, let us proceed to the cancer types or specifications. Cancer types are usually named after the area they affect in the body - usually like skin, lung, pancreas, blood, stomach among the others. However, if classified biologically, there are primarily five types of cancer. These include - leukemia, melanoma, carcinoma, sarcoma, and lymphoma.

Leukemia is the type of cancer that originates in the blood marrow and is a cancer of the blood. In this cancer type, no tumors are formed. Melanoma is regarded as one of the most dangerous types of cancer as in this, the skin coloring pigment or melanin becomes cancerous in nature. Carcinomas are cancers of the various types of glands or organs such as the breasts, stomach, lungs, pancreas, etc. Cancers of the connective tissues such as the bones, muscles, etc are classified as sarcomas. Lymphomas, on the other hand, are cancers of the white blood cells. Among the most diagnosed types of cancers are carcinomas.

Cancer Causes

In the present day living environment, a number of factors are liable to cause cancer. However, in many cases, one single factor cannot be attributed or held responsible for causing cancer in an individual. The substances that are known to be cancer-causing or increasing the risks of cancer are known as carcinogens. Carcinogens can range from anything from pollutants to tobacco to something as simple as processed meats.

The effect of carcinogens, however, on different individuals is different and it is also dependent on a number of factors, be it physical, lifestyle-choice, or biological. The physical factors enabling the effect of carcinogens include exposure to different environmental conditions such as UV rays, X-rays, etc. Cancer among mining workers because of their constant exposure to asbestos and fine silicone dust is common. Biological factors generally include hereditary factors, such as the passing of a mutated BRCA1 or 2 mutations from mother to daughter in case of breast cancer. In addition, they also include factors such as age, gender, blood type, etc. Lifestyle choice refers to habits such as smoking, drinking, radiation exposure, etc, which can act as triggers for carcinogens.

Cancer Treatment

In this segment of our essay on cancer, we will discuss the various types of cancer treatments involved and their applicability. The most commonly applied cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Often, these treatments are given in a combination of one with the other. Surgery is usually performed in the case of benign tumors usually followed by a short cycle of preventive chemotherapy. The treatment of chemotherapy includes a combination of drugs targeted to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy, on the other hand, makes use of radiations to kill cancerous cells. All these treatments are usually known to have side effects, so after-care for cancer survivors is also equally important.

The kind of treatment best suited for a patient is usually determined by the physician. The most important aspect of cancer treatment is early diagnosis and immediate medical intervention. The chances of surviving or beating cancer increase by a paramount value if diagnosed in the early stages.

Cancer Awareness

In India, and many other countries, speaking or discussing cancer is still considered taboo and this perception is in dire need of a change. Always remember cancer awareness is the first step towards cancer prevention. You must come across survivors sharing their journey by means of speech of cancer awareness. It can be of great benefit to know about the disease beforehand as it will keep you wary of any signs or symptoms you might come across and bring the same to the notice of your physician immediately. This will help in preventing or fighting cancer more effectively.

Short Essay on Cancer

To provide you with a grasp on the subject matter, we have provided a short essay on cancer here. Cancer is a disease in which the cells in specified or different parts of the body start dividing continuously. Cancer is usually caused by specific substances that affect several factors in our body. These specific substances are called carcinogens.

Cancer can be caused owing to exposure to pollution, radiation, harmful substances, poor lifestyle choices, etc. Cancer is best treated when detected early. Usually, surgery as well as other treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc. are used to treat cancer.

Cancer awareness is one of the best means that help in preventing and fighting the disease.

Points to Remember About Cancer

Students are recommended to remember the point of facts so it can be helpful for the students to write an essay with ease. Below are listed a few quick points for the convenience of students who are opting to write an essay on Cancer—

Cancer is a condition in which the cells divide in vast numbers uncontrollably which results in impairment and other damage to the body.

Excessive alcohol consumption, poor nutrition or physical inactivity and, excess weight of the body are some of the causes of Cancer. 

Genetic factors can be responsible for the development of cancer. 

Some genetic malfunctions occur after birth and factors like exposure to the sun and smoking can increase the risks. 

A person can also inherit a certain predisposition for a particular type of cancer. 

Chemotherapy is one of the treatments for cancer that targets the dividing cells, it can cure cancer but the side effects can be fatal. 

Hormone Therapy is another way for treating cancer where the medication targets certain hormones that interfere with the human body. Hormones are essential in breast cancer and prostate cancer. 

Immunotherapy is another way where the medication and treatment target the immune system to boost it.

Personalized medication is one of the newer developments where the treatment is more personalized depending on the person’s body and gene. It is believed that this kind of treatment can cure all types of cancer. 

Radiation therapy is the treatment in which a high dose of radiation is given out to kill the cancerous cells. It can be used for shrinking the tumors before the surgery. 

Stem cell transplant is essential for blood-related cancer like leukemia and lymphoma. In this treatment, the blood cells are removed that are destroyed by chemotherapy and radiation and then the cells are put back into the body after being developed by the doctors. 

Surgery is also a part of the treatment. 

Leukemia, Breast cancer, thyroid cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, pancreatic, endometrial, colon, liver, and bladder cancer are the types of cancer that people are diagnosed with every year. 

The most common types of cancer are lung cancer and melanoma.

Cancer is classified by doctors in two ways. 

First, by the location of the cancerous cells. 

And secondly, by the tissues that are affected by it. 

Metastasis is a condition where cancerous cells spread to different parts of the body. 

Improvements in the rate of cancer have been seen over the years after a significant drop in tobacco consumption and smoking. 

The outlook of cancer depends on the severity, type, and location of the cancerous cells.  

Some cancer can exhibit symptoms while others don’t so it is always advised to report anything to the medical expert if something is wrong. Cancer doesn’t exhibit many symptoms unless it is in an advanced stage so it is usually better to go for regular checkups. 

Tumors can be caused in the brain and spinal that can be cancerous in nature. 

Germ cell tumors give rise to sperm and eggs in the body and it can be caused in any part of the body. 

Quick Ways to Remember and Write an Essay on Cancer

Do the research

It is essential to write the valid points and present them in this essay as it is based on Cancer. An essay on Cancer must be comprehensive and should ideally contain the context related to this topic hence, it is very important for a student to know about this topic thoroughly in order to write the essay brilliantly. 

Analyze the question

A student must understand the intention of the essay and know the terms that are needed to be used. It will clearly form an essay that consists of all the valid points related to cancer. 

Remembering the information on Cancer

Cancer as a topic is vast because there are several types of Cancer and writing about all of them is not possible in a condensed essay so it is important to understand and remember the points which are more essential than the others to be mentioned in the essay.  

Defining the terms and theories

It is essential for a student to explain the terms being used in the essay. For example, writing the names of the types of Cancer is not enough, it also has to be explained by the student on how it affects and how it may be treated. 

Organize a structured essay 

Students must write the essay in a coherent manner which must begin with the introduction to cancer, followed by the body of the essay that must contain the types of cancer, treatment, and other information regarding the topic of Cancer. It must be well concluded later to tie everything up neatly. 

Cancer is, undoubtedly, one of the most life-shattering diseases. Together, let us make an effort to take on this disease with more care and hope.

FAQs on National Cancer Awareness Day: Empowering Hope and Health

1. Differentiate Between Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Tumours.

The unregulated cell mass inside the body is known as a tumour and can be specified to a particular area or the uninhibited cell growth may spread to the surrounding tissues. Based on this, tumours are majorly classified into two types:

Benign Tumours: This type of tumours are usually regarded as non-cancerous as they are specified to a particular area and can be surgically removed without causing damage to the surrounding tissue.

Malignant Tumours: These tumours, on the other hand, have broken free from their site of origin and spread to other tissues, usually through the bloodstream. These tumours are cancerous in nature and usually require other treatments.

271 Cancer Research Topics for Undergraduates and High School Students

Are you looking for the best oncology research topics? You’re at the right place! StudyCorgi has prepared a list of cancer research topics for undergraduates and high school students! Read on to find a good title for your projects or term papers on prostate, breast, and other cancer types.

🏆 Best Research Topics on Cancer

✍️ cancer essay topics for college, 👍 good cancer research topics & essay examples, 📝 current cancer titles for essays, 🎓 interesting cancer topics to write about, 💡 simple cancer research paper topics, 📌 easy cancer essay topics, ❓ questions about cancer research, 🗣️ cancer topics for presentation, 🏥 cancer project ideas.

• The Cobalt-60 Machine in the Fight Against Cancer
• The New Cancer Cure
• Cervical Cancer: Case Study
• The Colon Cancer: Main Aspects
• Physical and Mental Care for Cancer Patients
• Breast Cancer: The Story of One Patient
• Breast Cancer: Literature Review
• Type C Personality as a Risk Factor for Cancer The paper is on the scientific relationship between personality C and the aspects of gene and hormonal activity that leads to the build-up of cancer cells.
• Lung Cancer Pathophysiology Like any other type of cancer, tumors in lungs have a characteristic of an uncontrolled cell growth that takes places in lung tissues.
• Cultural Sensitivity in Medicine and Cancer Treatment Any medical practitioner should understand the cultural aspects of a community for him to be able to come up with a lasting solution for cancer treatment.
• Cervical Cancer Screening Methodology This paper reviews cervical cancer screening methodology and provides a rationale for applying each recommendation to a specific group of the population.
• Cancer: Symptoms and Consequences The research of the symptoms of cancer and its consequences to evaluate the seriousness of the problem in the USA but and the whole world.
• Breast Cancer and Effective Medical Treatment The aim of this paper is to characterize breast cancer and to describe the modern methods of its treatment and prevention.
• BRCA Gene Mutation and Breast Cancer This study aims to determine how BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 gene mutations contribute to breast cancer, to analyze the role of BRCA1 and BRCA 2 in the restoration of the damaged DNA.
• Understanding Epigenetic Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Human cells become cancerous when they undergo genetic modifications that make them acquire growth and multiplication advantages.
• Epidemiology of Breast Cancer in UK As of 2011, the incidences of breast cancer have been increasing continuously over forty years. Also, there was a general reduction in the rate of mortality caused by breast cancer.
• Breast Cancer: Research Review Paper Plenty of scholars’ investigations help doctors, nurses, and patients to take precautionary and care measures to improve their physical and psychological condition.
• Esophageal Cancer and Its Treatment The paper researches the causes of esophageal cancer, its various symptoms, diagnostic, treatment and possible ends.
• Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms and Treatment Treatment is complicated by the fact that pancreatic cancer often does not cause any symptoms until it reaches a large size or does not spread to other tissues.
• Disease Research: Breast Cancer Breast cancer is a multifactorial, complex illness that demands proper clinical understanding and a multidisciplinary way to determine diagnosis and treatment.
• Cervical Cancer: Pathophysiological Processes Cervical cancer is a serious disease that may take human lives in a short period of time because its signs and symptoms are not always easily recognized.
• Cancer Management: Effective Diagnosis, Treatment, Lessening the Effects of Complications Cancer refers to any dangerous and abnormal mass of tissue caused by hysterical dissection of cells in the body. Effective management of cancer entails timely and effective diagnosis.
• Conference: Breast Cancer Survival In the medical sphere, cancer studies are one of the most essential and necessary specialties. For millions of cancer patients worldwide, life is a continued fight for survival.
• Stomach Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment Stomach cancer is a malignant neoplasm that develops in the organ’s gastric mucosa cells and first affecting the epithelium and then growing into the stomach tissue.
• Postoperative Breast Cancer Care The chosen for the paper articles support the implementation of risk reduction strategies for depression in post-operative breast cancer patients.
• Cancer Biology: Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes This paper seeks to interpret the role oncogenes and tumor suppressors play in transformation during cancer formation.
• Colorectal Cancer Intervention Model The unique skills needed are for successful colorectal cancer intervention includes knowledge of the behavioral challenges, interventions strategies, and health policies.
• Approach to Care. Human Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases caused by the uncontrolled division of cells. There is a great variety of cancers, and they are ranked by the type of sell, which the tumor imitates.
• Breast Cancer: Analysis and Data Collection The study to determine the quality of health was a qualitative research study because it showed a significant improved in the quality of life for the breast cancer victims.
• Ethical Dilemma: Handling a Request for No Further Cancer Treatment Modern technologies can prolong a person’s life and interrupt it, and this is a person’s choice of which decision to make.
• “Preferences for Photographic Art Among Hospitalized Patients With Cancer” the Article by Grossman, A., Schroeter, K., Hanson, A. and Hanson, H. The article reviewed in the scope of this paper is titled “Preferences for Photographic Art among Hospitalized Patients with Cancer.”
• Colorectal Cancer: Factors and Prevention Colorectal cancer is a serious disease that is estimated to affect many individuals in the US by 2030. The primary approach to preventing it is regular screenings.
• Cancer Patients and Survivors Support Group This paper dwells upon some peculiarities of managing a support group consisting of young adult cancer patients and cancer survivors.
• Inner Strength in Women Survivors of Cancer This is a summary of the article “The role of inner strength in quality of life and self-management in women survivors of cancer” by C. Dingley and G. Roux.
• Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer This research discusses, Experience of adjuvant treatment among postmenopausal women with breast cancer: health-related quality of life, symptom experience, stressful events and coping strategies.
• The Importance of Nutrition in Cancer Prevention In the last few decades, the role that diet and nutrition play in the development, progress, and management of cancer has become an important area of study.
• Bilateral Mastectomy for Breast Cancer Prevention One of the options for preventing the development of breast cancer is a bilateral mastectomy. But it may not be a good preventive choice for genetic markers of breast cancer.
• Social Determinants of Health and Cancer A larger population of the black community suffering from cancer loses their lives while receiving treatment at the hospital due to failed cancer care.
• Skin Cancer Prevention in Australia Skin cancer, or melanoma, is the abnormal behavior of skin cells that is mainly caused by prolonged exposure of unprotected skin to ultraviolet rays.
• Addressing Cancer: The Nursing Process Nurses must use as much information and resources as possible to offer the highest-quality patient-oriented care.
• Health Promotion to Reduce Lung Cancer: Grant Proposal Template The project aims to reduce the rate of lung cancer infection and deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in South Australia.
• Breast Cancer: Pathophysiology, Types and Treatment Breast cancer is a common malignant neoplastic disease in women and mostly develops in the stage of women postmenopausal.
• Cancer Treatment and Role of Nurses The primary purpose of this paper is to draw attention to current issues related to the treatment of cancer and the role of nurses.
• Wellness Programs for Colorectal Cancer In this plan, the researcher intends to give a clear intervention plan that can help address the problem of colorectal cancer that has affected so many elderly people in our society.
• Deathography of Cancer From an early age, children get to learn about relatives and friends who have passed away and who passed away during their lifetime.
• A Family Experience of a Child Being Diagnosed With Cancer Family members of a child being diagnosed with cancer have to go through a long and complicated road that regrettably, not always leads to success.
• Cancer Prevalence and Health Care More than 5 million people living today in the US are living with cancer. Sixty three percent of 65 years and above have had cancer.
• Approach to the Care of Cancer This paper discusses cancer, including the approach to cancer care, cancer complications and side effects, and the ways of addressing the side effects.
• Colorectal Cancer and Other Cancer Signs and Diagnoses The reasons for increased colorectal cancer rates and decreased cervical cancer rates in Western society may be related to preferred lifestyles.
• Colorectal Cancer Screening and Its Importance Colorectal cancer screening is recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force as an effective way to reduce disease-related morbidity and mortality.
• Researching of Cervical Cancer In its initial stages, the cancer process is asymptomatic and is only detected during an extensive gynecological examination.
• Cancer Treatment Process Perceived by Women With Ovarian Cancer The current paper explores how the process of treating ovarian cancer affects the well-being and physical and emotional state of women.
• Smoking and Gender Factors of Lung Cancer The rising prevalence of lung cancer in young females compared to young males is widespread and not entirely explained by gender variations in smoking habits.
• Breast Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment Recent efforts from medical professionals and interest groups like Breast Cancer Awareness Month facilitate open discussion around breast cancer.
• Drug Repurposing in Cancer Treatment This article examines the concept of drug repurposing in the context of pharmaceutical companies’ innovation policy: the methods and economic feasibility of repurposing drugs.
• Cancer: Disease Specifics and RNA-Based Detection The paper presents the analysis of cancer as one of the most common causes of death. It shows that there are many types of this disease.
• Breast Cancer: Diagnostic and Treatment Breast cancer is one of the most common oncology disorders among females. It has a complicated chain of immune reactions and various structures identified histologically.
• Diet, Physical Activity, Obesity and Related Cancer Risk The paper addresses the connection between cancer and physical activity, diet, and obesity in Latin America and the USA. The transitions in dietary practices may be observed.
• Thyroid Cancer as a Public Health Issue Due to the explosion and fire at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, a huge quantity of radioactive iodine and cesium penetrated the air.
• EBP Guideline for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical guidelines are the recognized standard and most synoptic evidence-based practice policies.
• The Ethics of Control Groups in Cancer Research A study is proposed to determine whether women with breast cancer who underwent a mastectomy have a higher rate of survival.
• Health-Related Misconceptions Regarding Antiperspirants and Breast Cancer There is a myth about the use of antiperspirants, especially aluminum-containing ones, as a risk factor for breast cancer.
• Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention Physical activity (PA) has to be efficient in preventing cancer, evading cancer repetition, and increasing good results.
• Esophageal Cancer: Description, Population Affected, and Prognosis In esophageal cancer, malignant cells develop in the esophagus tissues, leading to tumor formation; it accounts for 1% of all malignancies diagnosed in the USA each year.
• Diet, Physical Activity, Obesity, and Related Cancer Risk One’s health is affected by their lifestyle, which should be well managed since childhood to set a basis for a healthier adulthood.
• The Cancer Trial: Useful Medical Tool A cancer trial is a tool that helps medical professionals examine and trace the illness to develop its background and establish treatment methods.
• Macmillan Cancer Support Organization’s Data-Driven Decision-Making Macmillan Cancer Support Organization’s stakeholders must examine the cancer care workforce and predict how the future ratio might look for strategic management.
• Low-Income Men With Prostate Cancer The paper shows the clinical importance of post-treatment prostate cancer. Low-income disadvantaged men face various barriers, including knowledge.
• Cancer Screening Promotion for Middle-Aged Adults Public health policy among middle-aged adults that promotes cancer literacy and the importance of frequent screenings is likely to yield positive results.
• Naturalistic Observation of Couples Coping With Breast Cancer Couples who are suffering with cancer and their spouses’ psychological well-being were explored in study, which focused on the natural setting and substance of dialogues.
• Passive Smoking and Pancreatic Cancer in Women The association between ETS and pancreatic cancer is weak. The pancreatic cancer risk associated is confounded by environmental tobacco smoke exposures.
• Breast Cancer: Preventive Measures and Support Methods One of the most common types of cancer that women encounter worldwide is breast cancer. This disease was the cause of approximately 570,000 deaths in 2015.
• Health & Medicine: Breast Cancer in XIX Century The disease of breast cancer was a disease of women, which began to be actively noticed from the beginning of the nineteenth century.
• Breast Cancer: Threat to the Patients Cancer is developed from mutations, namely from atypical changes in genes that regulate cell growth and keep them healthy.
• Environmentally and Lifestyle Linked Cancer The paper argues it is critical to clearly understand the causes of cancer to avoid public misinformation that’s why the paper presents etiology and diagnosis of cancer.
• Case Brief on Colon Cancer and Colostomy The paper presents a medical case brief on a 54-year-old patient suffering from colon cancer who had undergone a surgery known as colostomy.
• Post-operative Breast Cancer Patients With Depression: Annotated Bibliography This paper is an annotated bibliography about risk reduction strategies at the point of care: Post-operative breast cancer patients who are experiencing depression.
• Cancer Insurance Evaluation An evaluation of what cancer insurance is, what it covers, how it works, the best providers, and how it differs from health insurance can facilitate a better sense of the policy.
• How to Lower your Cancer Risk. Nutrition Action Health Letter Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells. If a person is genetically predisposed to the disease, it can be difficult to avoid getting it.
• Cancer Patients: The Effectiveness of Pain Diary The pain diary assists the cancer patients in pain management by helping them to identify the nature of pain and where it is localized.
• Herceptin and Breast Cancer Treatment Cancer growth is a series of processes that are driven by alterations of genes that bring about the progressive conversion of usual body cells into extremely malignant imitation.
• The Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer The essay describes the diagnosis of cancer. It also highlights three complications associated with cancer. The discussion offers a detailed approach towards better care of cancer.
• American Cancer Society: The Aspects of Melanoma The current paper discusses the aspects of melanoma. It is a type of skin cancer caused by the uncontrolled growth of melanocytes.
• HIV-AIDS, Nutrition and Cancer in Society Patients suffering from HIV/AIDS need to have a perfect schedule for their nutrition. It is important that they watch their diet to boost their immunity.
• Cancer Early Detection, Prevention, and Survivorship in Arab Countries This paper aims to analyze perception, attitudes, and practice towards cancer early detection, prevention, and survivorship in Arab countries and Oman.
• Public Health Initiative on Prostrate Cancer Among Maryland’s Blacks The primary goal of the public health initiative is to improve the quality of life for all people in the US and reduce the racial prostate cancer disparities.
• Researching of Testicular Cancer Men with undescended testicles are at increased risk of developing testicular cancer. If the undescended testicle is not in the groin but in the abdomen, the risk is even higher
• Lung and Bronchus Cancer in Smoking Americans Among the causes of lung and bronchus cancer, smoking is the first to be distinguished, which is the reason for the vast majority of incidence cases.
• Breast Cancer and Exercise. Article Summary The research study focused on breast cancer survivors in the Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation Institute (RMCRI) who had already been treated.
• Dental Caries Among Survivors of Childhood Cancer Some professionals considered caries to be one of the long-term health consequences experienced after cancer while others do not support such an idea.
• The Risk Factors of Breast Cancer This paper will throw light upon what breast cancer is all about, the risk factors, the distribution, and determinants of the same.
• A Collaborative Stress Management Initiative for Mothers of Cancer Children The article explored the psychological stress experienced by mothers who have cancerous children. The research is current and relevant to contemporary health issues.
• Multicausality: Reserpine, Breast Cancer, and Obesity All the factors are not significant in the context of the liability to breast cancer development, though their minor influence is undeniable.
• Reducing Cancer Risk With Diet and Lifestyle Change This paper explores the reasons why a strict diet together with changes in lifestyle could significantly reduce the risk of cancer.
• Prostate Cancer Among the Blacks in the State of Maryland Empirical evidence reveals that race or ethnicity is the leading risk factor in the predisposition of men to prostate cancer.
• Breast Cancer: Etiology, Signs and Symptoms Breast cancer is believed to have claimed many human lives in the last four decades, but its prevalence rate has decreased significantly due to improved disease awareness.
• Behavioral Theory: Education Program for Oral Cancer This article uses the social learning theory and the theory of planned behavior to demonstrate the tenets of an effective health education program for the prevention of oral cancer.
• The Epidemiology of Breast Cancer in Young Women The researcher has clearly outlined the essence of the referenced study as aimed at reviewing the epidemiology of breast cancer in young women.
• Factors of Older Adults’ Decision on Cancer Treatment Puts et al. conducted a qualitative study in order to establish the factors that affect the elderly in making a decision to accept or reject cancer treatment.
• Optimal Care For Patients With All Forms of Cancer The nursing profession can benefit from several findings in this study. Optimal care for patients with all forms of cancer can indeed improve the quality of life.
• “Identifying Dietary Patterns Compatible With the Reduction of Cancer Risk” Article Review The review analyzes the purpose of the study aimed at assessing the viability of building healthy eating guidelines in four international settings.
• Processed Meat Consumption Causes Pancreatic Cancer In the United States, more than 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer annually, whereas in Europe over 60,000 people suffer from pancreatic cancer yearly.
• Addressing Risk Factors for Lung Cancer Lung cancer cannot be pinpointed to a particular cause. The first prevention measure is ceasing smoking as cigarettes carry chemicals poisonous to the lungs.
• Skin Cancer Types, Cells of Origin Melanoma is the severest form of skin cancer that grows quickly, and it can appear as a spot of a red, brown, black, or grey color with asymmetric sides.
• Genetic Alterations and Cancer The paper will discuss cancer symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, side-effects of treatment, and also its link with a genetic alteration.
• Approach to Cancer Care: Diagnosing and Treatment This paper will discuss the process of diagnosing and staging cancer, the complications that are common among patients, and the various treatment remedies available.
• Prostate Cancer Among Blacks in Maryland: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis In the context of the black community in Maryland, the cost-effectiveness analysis portrays the ability of the chosen intervention to minimize the consequences of prostate cancer.
• The Relationship Between Breast Cancer and Genes Cancer, in general, is a disease caused by genes that have mutated or adapted in a different way than was intended.
• Does Marijuana Use and Misuse Cause Cancer? The purpose of this paper is to review two studies that have attempted to define the possible link between marijuana use/misuse and lung cancer.
• How Cancer Affects the Skin? Melanoma represents a type of cancer that affects the melanocytes based in the epidermis section of the skin, and it presents itself as patches of lesions on the skin.
• Functional Characterization of MicroRNAs in Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is the name given to cancer that starts in the prostate gland. The prostate is a part of the man’s reproductive system and is as big as a walnut.
• Pathology the Respiratory System: Lung Cancer Lung cancer is among the leading causes of death through respiratory illnesses and it has posed a major challenge to the global healthcare system.
• A Perfusion Based 3D Cancer Model for Micro Tumor Formation In vitro perfused 3D cancer model, developed in this thesis, proved valuable for cancer cell culture and related anti-cancer drug tests.
• Breast Cancer Development and Progression: Understanding Epigenetic Mechanisms The development and progression of breast cancer have been attributed to a series of cellular and molecular events, most of which are not well understood.
• Cervical Cancer: Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice This essay seeks to discuss the annual cervical cancer screening practice to identify the EBP that can be used to replace it.
• Impact of Alcohol Abuse on Breast Cancer Risk in Women This paper will examine the effects of alcohol abuse on the development of breast cancer in women to uncover its devastating consequences.
• Cancer Pain Experiences in Caucasians vs. Minorities Race, age, genetics, cancer type, culture, and psychosocial context have all been shown to impact the manner in which cancer patients experience pain during their illness.
• Cancer Treatment Practice Data Research Evidence-based practice in the nursing profession is fundamental towards effective delivery of care services to patients.
• Effects of Nutrition on Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Control The high prevalence rate of cancer and heart disease has necessitated the need to underline not only the use of drugs but also the role of nutrition in eradicating cancer.
• Virtual Colonoscopy to Screen for Colon Cancer The aim of this paper is to estimate the technology of virtual colonoscopy from the perspective of several factors, for filling the mentioned gap with the proper amount of arguments.
• African American Women and Cancer The existing disparities regarding healthcare services provision in the United States is a critical issue related to such phenomena as racial and gender discrimination.
• Americcan College of Radiology Protocol and Cancer Therapy Response to Antiangiogenetic Drug Chemotherapy and antiangiogenic drug use are essential in the process of treatment the organs affected with caner cells because the drugs are aimed at reducing the effect of cancer.
• Lung Cancer: Causes and Treatment In the current paper, the crucial peculiarities of lung cancer, as well as the reasons that cause it, will be discussed.
• Grant Proposal: Cancel Cancer To ensure that patients diagnosed with cancer can effectively reduce their stress and anxiety levels, a grant is needed to use the program of emotional relief.
• Socioeconomic Factors of Oral Cancer The significant probability of oral cancer being incident in unemployed people was high since the OR (odds ratio) is 2.27.
• Summaries of Three Articles About Lung Cancer One of the most straightforward and efficient ways to understand the pathogenesis of lung cancer is researching the molecular mechanisms that slowly initiate it.
• Cervical Cancer: Symptoms and Treatment Cervical cancer is a condition that affects the cells close to the vagina that can be located in the lower section of the uterus, which is called the cervix.
• Prophylaxis Breast Cancer This paper examines the majority of the parts in detail and considers every risk linked to the development of this dangerous disease.
• Expanded Treatment Options in the Adjuvant Therapy of Colon Cancer Nurses can make a difference in improving survival rates for stage III and IV patients by remaining up to date about treatment options offered by new adjuvant agents.
• Pancreatic Cancer: Diagnostics and Treatment The article analyses the most recent techniques in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cancer malignancy with a very poor prognosis.
• Nutrition Research With Reference to Colorectal Cancer The present paper is concerned with evaluating the validity and reliability of nutrition research with reference to colorectal cancer.
• Nutritional “Cures” for Clients With Cancer or HIV-AIDS The paper analysis nutrition, which can play a pivotal role in providing some relief to patients especially those with HIV/AIDS.
• Human Patient Simulation for Skin Cancer Prevention Kuhrik et al. conclude that human patient simulation (HPS) can benefit future healthcare providers and promote early prevention and detection.
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StudyCorgi. (2021, September 9). 271 Cancer Research Topics for Undergraduates and High School Students. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cancer-essay-topics/

"271 Cancer Research Topics for Undergraduates and High School Students." StudyCorgi , 9 Sept. 2021, studycorgi.com/ideas/cancer-essay-topics/.

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StudyCorgi . "271 Cancer Research Topics for Undergraduates and High School Students." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cancer-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "271 Cancer Research Topics for Undergraduates and High School Students." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cancer-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Cancer were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 5, 2024 .

Breast Cancer - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops from breast tissue. Essays on this topic could explore the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of breast cancer. Additionally, discussions might delve into the psychological and social impact of breast cancer on patients and their families, the ongoing research towards finding a cure, and the broader societal awareness and support systems available for those affected. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Breast Cancer you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Micro Needle Thermocouple for Detection of Breast Cancer

Hundreds and thousands of people are affected by cancer each year; it is one of the most fatal diseases and a leading cause of death and disability for humans (Iranifam 2014). There are several types of cancer than can affect different areas of the body, some being less life-threatening than others. A vast amount of patients suffer from late diagnosis or recurrence of their disease in spite of all the advances in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Modern cancer […]

The Role of Histology in the Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cell that can be benign, not dangerous, but it can also metastasize and invade different and distant tissues in our body. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in female of any age and although the risk increases, as you get older, many different factors affect the chance of a woman to get breast cancer. I chose this specific topic because breast cancer is something that I’ve dealt with in my personal […]

Corporate Social Responsibility against Cancer

Abstract As an assistant manager at Kenta Law Firm, based in Monroe, I intend to collaborate with the Susan B. Komen Foundation a non-organization corporation that is interested in reducing issues of breast cancer among women. Kenta law firm has noted that a significant populace of Monroe’s youth especially women and young children specifically those who are homeless are suffering from breast cancer. In this CSR partnership, our law firm will collaborate with the Susan B. Komen Foundation in addressing […]

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Why is Screening for Breast Cancer Important

The impact this disease has, on not only the individual but the people around them, is powerful. Even though the tests show cancer, I am thankful that I had the annual test. It is true that stress, anxiety, and money can be saved by waiting until the age of 50 years old because of misinterpretation and overdiagnosis. However, early detection is the key to success in the battle against breast cancer. There are many different options for detection scans that […]

Breast Cancer: Casuses and Treatment

Cancer is defined as “when the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.” (“What is cancer?”, 2017), caused by mutations that lead to the cell cycle to proceed, regardless if the cell is qualified to. The mutations block the use of the G1, G2, and M checkpoints in the cell cycle. These checkpoints are important in “sensing defects that occur during essential processes, and induce a cell cycle arrest in response until the defects are […]

Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy

Breast cancer is always personal. As a physician who counsels women at different steps during the healing process, I am acutely aware of this undeniable fact. Every decision she makes from the point at which she is diagnosed with breast cancer will require her focused engagement and a physician who is central to understanding her need for clarity of options. It is an intimate relationship where trust is a requirement and every woman faced with the many unknowns ahead will […]

Breast Cancer History Research Paper

Breast cancer is a disease in which most commonly occurs in all women no matter their size, shape, race, or ethnicity. About one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every year, a fatal disease if not discovered early. Early detection of breast cancer is key so that cancerous cells found in the breast do not spread through other parts of the body. With an increasing prevalence in breast cancer today, the evolution of technology has been improved […]

New Healthcare Inventions on Breast Cancer

Abstract Background: The Ki67 labeling index (LI) for breast carcinoma is essential for therapy. It is determined by visual assessment under a microscope which is subjective, thus has limitations due to inter-observer variability. A standardized method for evaluating Ki67 LI is necessary to reduce subjectivity and improve precision. Therefore, automated Digital Image Analysis (DIA) has been attempted as a potential method for evaluating the Ki67 index. Materials and Method: We included 48 cases of invasive breast carcinoma in this study. […]

Understanding Breast Cancer

This paper will clarify what Breast Cancer is. It will explain the symptoms, treatment options, and other useful information regarding this disease. The first thing to know about Breast Cancer is understanding what it is. According to the Cancer.org website, breast cancer begins when cells in the bosom begin to spread out of control. The tumor that is formed from these cells may be detected on an x-ray or can be felt as a lump. Malignancy can advance into neighboring […]

Breast Cancer in African American Women

Summary Despite the fact that Caucasian women in the United States have a higher incidence rate of breast cancer than any other racial group, African-Americans succumb notably worse to the disease and record the highest mortality rate. To comprehend the barriers and challenges that predispose African-American women to these disparities, this research was conducted to get a better understanding from the perspective of oncologists. With diverse ethnicity and gender representation, the participation of seven medical, surgical and radiation oncologists that […]

Essential Breast Cancer Screening Techniques and their Complements

It is with great distress that each year a large number of females suffer and die from breast cancer. Medicine practitioners and researchers have been striving to save lives from breast cancer, and how they manage to do this includes two major parts—diagnosis and treatment. What comes first on the stage of diagnosis is the detection of tumor. Thus, the development of breast imaging techniques is at the highest priority for diagnosing breast cancer, and individuals’ focus is on earlier […]

Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment

The human body is made up of cells. When a cell dies the body automatically replaces it with a new healthy cell, but sometimes the cell is not healthy and grows out of control. These cells group together and form a lump that can be seen on an x-ray. Breast cancer is a tumor in the cells of person’s breast. It can spread throughout the breast to the person’s lymph nodes and other parts of the body. Sometimes it occurs […]

Breast Cancer Diagnosis

I. Executive Summary Breast cancer is concerning a large number of female individuals worldwide. This disease comes from abnormally developed breast tissue, which usually begins in either lobules or ducts of the breast. Generally speaking, breast cancer is divided into two types—non-invasive and invasive. The core criteria to distinguish in between these two types of breast cancers is the location of cancer cells. Cancer cells remain on their initial positions for a non-invasive breast cancer, whereas they grow, or “invade”, […]

Understanding a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Breast cancer is often known as an aggressive cancer. It forms when cells grow uncontrollably in the tissues of the breast, leading to a tumor. Over 190,000 individuals are diagnosed yearly (Cancer Center). Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death, and the rate increases every year in women, and occasionally in men. Over 12 percent of women in the United States of America will face breast cancer in their lifetime. It is the most common cause of death […]

Breast Cancer in the Era of Precision Medicine

Introduction: Precision medicine is concerned with the diagnosis of patients according to their biological, genetic, and molecular status. As cancer is a genetic disease, its treatment comes among the first medical disciplines as an application of precision medicine. Breast cancer is a highly complex, heterogeneous, and multifactorial disease; it is also one of the most common diseases among women in the world. Usually, there are no clear symptoms, so regular screening is important for early detection. Scientists recently started using […]

Exome Sequencing to Identify Rare Mutations Associated with Breast Cancer Susceptibility

Abstract Background - Breast cancer predisposition has been known to be caused by hereditary factors. New techniques particularly exome sequencing have allowed/ helped us to identify new and novel variants that exhibit a phenotype. Method - In this review we discuss the advantages of exome sequencing and how it could help in understanding the familial breast cancer. In particular, we will discuss about the studies by Noh et al.(1), Thompson et al.(2), and Kiiski et al.(3), on how they have […]

A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for HER2 Breast Cancer by Nanoparticles Combined with Macrophages

Abstract:In recent years, the cell membrane bionic nanoparticles as a new drug delivery system is widely used in small molecule drugs, vaccines and targeted delivery of macromolecular drugs, because of its inherited the specific receptors on the cell membrane and membrane proteins can be used to implement specific targeted delivery, and the tumor showed a good treatment effect on the disease such as model, this topic with a huge bite cell membrane of the role of tumor capture, chemical modification, […]

Essays About Breast Cancer Breast Cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and is a disease by which the cells in the breast area grow out of control. Breast cancer tends to begin in the ducts or lobules of a breast and there are different types of cancer. In the US alone 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some stage in their lives. In many academic fields; from science to medicine the study of breast cancer and essays about breast cancer are required as part of the curriculum. An essay on breast cancer can seem daunting due to the amount of research and several varying scientific approaches used to talk about the topic. We offer essay examples, or research paper guidance and free essay samples.  These can be used to gauge how to approach the topic and are an informative look at all factors that contribute to breast cancer and prevention. We also factor breast cancer awareness into our essay samples and ensure essays for both university and college build a strong foundation to understanding the disease, but also draw criticism when necessary and a strong conclusion on whatever element of breast cancer the focus of the essay is on.

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Breast Cancer and Its Population Burden Essay

Introduction, facts and figures, population impacts, environmental factors, social factors, potential solution to breast cancer.

The overriding objective of this paper is to provide a detailed discussion of the burden of breast cancer. The other objectives that are central to this paper are highlighted below:

• To determine which group is at a high risk of breast cancer
• To elucidate the impact of breast cancer on elderly women and those below the age of 45 years
• To highlight the possible solutions to the burden of breast cancer
• To discuss, in detail, some of the possible causes of breast cancer – environmental and social factors.

Breast cancer (BC) is regarded as the most common type of cancer globally. According to Mascara and Constantinou (2021), “about 2.3 million people are diagnosed with the disease each year” (p. 9). In the U.S., approximately 264000 and 2400 cancer cases are diagnosed each year among women and men, respectively (Mascara and Constantinou (2021, p. 6). African American women have a high mortality rate of breast cancer. The main facts about this condition are that it has a high survival rate, and women are at a higher risk than men for developing it.

While there are several types of cancer, breast cancer is regarded as the second leading cause of death among women. Women above 55 years are at a high risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. More specifically, it is common after menopause – “longer exposure to estrogen increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer” (Madigan et al., 2020, p. 9). However, there are a few cases of this condition among women below 45 (Madigan et al., 2020, p. 9). In the U.S., for instance, about 9% of all the cases are recorded in women below 45 years

Most older women living with breast cancer are considered underdiagnosed and undertreated. This explains why this population has a low survival rate. According to Madigan et al. (2020), the majority of women who die of breast cancer are above 65 years. In addition to this, screening for this condition in the elderly population is very controversial. In fact, mammography is rarely performed in women between 65 and 70 years old (Madigan et al. (2020). Most of these women delay reporting the signs and symptoms of this condition – it is diagnosed at a more advanced stage.

The one known environmental factor that increases the risk of breast cancer is long exposure to ionizing radiation. According to Burstein et al. (2019), continued exposure to “environmental pollutants and toxic chemicals are possible risk factors for breast cancer.” However, the possibility of developing this condition depends largely on the period and type of exposure. Burstein et al.’s (2019) study focused on women exposed to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and bisphenol A. They noted that most women during the menopausal transition were at a high risk of developing breast cancer.

Social factors contribute a lot to the health and well-being of individuals. Among breast cancer patients, income and education, unemployment, social support, and neighborhood limitations are the main risks for breast cancer. Other social factors include food insecurity, poor housing, and lack of medical trust. Lack of social support, for instance, is associated with an increase in cancer-related deaths (Coughlin, 2019). This happens because most of them are socially isolated – they lack essential instrumental support. Overall, more affluent women, regardless of race, are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

The available solutions aim at reducing the risk of developing breast cancer. According to Montagnese et al. (2020), lifestyle changes are crucial to decreasing the risk of BC. The first possible solution requires one to maintain a healthy weight. For instance, healthy adults should strive to achieve at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity combined with up to 75 minutes of vigorous exercises (Montagnese et al., 2020). However, it is important to consult the healthcare provider regarding the available healthy strategies to help them accomplish the same.

Another possible solution to breast cancer, specifically for women below the age of 45 years, is through breastfeeding. More specifically, such women should consider breastfeeding for at least one year. This helps reduce the risk of breast cancer post-menopause. Similarly, hormone therapy in menopause should not be taken for the long term as it increases the risk of breast cancer – “whether estrogen is taken by itself or combined with progestin” (Jelly & Choudhary, 2019, p. 47). This presentation emphasizes that for those women who opt to take hormone therapy, it should be for the short-term.

As evidenced above, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, especially those aged 65 years and above. Based on research, approximately 264000 and 2400 cancer cases are diagnosed each year among women and men, respectively. In addition to this, both environmental and social factors play a critical role in the development of breast cancer. For instance, ionizing radiation is one of the main environmental factors associated with this condition. Scholars recommend lifestyle changes combined with physical activity in an attempt to minimize the risk of being diagnosed with the condition.

Burstein, H. J., Curigliano, G., Loibl, S., Dubsky, P., Gnant, M., Poortmans, P., & Thurlimann, B. (2019). Estimating the benefits of therapy for early-stage breast cancer: The St. Gallen International Consensus Guidelines for the primary therapy of early breast cancer 2019 . Annals of Oncology , 30 (10), 1541-1557. Web.

Coughlin, S. S. (2019). Social determinants of breast cancer risk, stage, and survival . Breast cancer research and treatment , 177 (3), 537-548. Web.

Jelly, P., & Choudhary, S. (2019). Breastfeeding and breast cancer: A risk reduction strategy . Int J Med Paediatr Oncol , 5 (2), 47-50. Web.

Madigan, L. I., Dinh, P., & Graham, J. D. (2020). Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in locally advanced estrogen or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer: determining the optimal endocrine agent and treatment duration in postmenopausal women—A literature review and proposed guidelines . Breast Cancer Research , 22 (1), 1-13. Web.

Mascara, M., & Constantinou, C. (2021). Global perceptions of women on breast cancer and barriers to screening . Current Oncology Reports , 23 (7), 1-9. Web.

Montagnese, C., Porciello, G., Vitale, S., Palumbo, E., Crispo, A., Grimaldi, M., & Augustin, L. S. (2020). Quality of life in women diagnosed with breast cancer after a 12-month treatment of lifestyle modifications . Nutrients , 13 (1), 136. Web.

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IvyPanda . "Breast Cancer and Its Population Burden." December 28, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/breast-cancer-and-its-population-burden/.

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What Is Cancer?

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A dividing breast cancer cell.

The Definition of Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. 

Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and multiply (through a process called cell division) to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes this orderly process breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply when they shouldn’t. These cells may form tumors, which are lumps of tissue. Tumors can be cancerous or not cancerous ( benign ). 

Cancerous tumors spread into, or invade, nearby tissues and can travel to distant places in the body to form new tumors (a process called metastasis ). Cancerous tumors may also be called malignant tumors. Many cancers form solid tumors, but cancers of the blood, such as leukemias , generally do not.

Benign tumors do not spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. When removed, benign tumors usually don’t grow back, whereas cancerous tumors sometimes do. Benign tumors can sometimes be quite large, however. Some can cause serious symptoms or be life threatening, such as benign tumors in the brain.

Differences between Cancer Cells and Normal Cells

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Cancer cells differ from normal cells in many ways. For instance, cancer cells:

• grow in the absence of signals telling them to grow. Normal cells only grow when they receive such signals. 
• ignore signals that normally tell cells to stop dividing or to die (a process known as programmed cell death , or apoptosis ).
• invade into nearby areas and spread to other areas of the body. Normal cells stop growing when they encounter other cells, and most normal cells do not move around the body. 
• tell blood vessels to grow toward tumors.  These blood vessels supply tumors with oxygen and nutrients and remove waste products from tumors.
• hide from the immune system . The immune system normally eliminates damaged or abnormal cells. 
• trick the immune system into helping cancer cells stay alive and grow. For instance, some cancer cells convince immune cells to protect the tumor instead of attacking it.
• accumulate multiple changes in their chromosomes , such as duplications and deletions of chromosome parts. Some cancer cells have double the normal number of chromosomes.
• rely on different kinds of nutrients than normal cells. In addition, some cancer cells make energy from nutrients in a different way than most normal cells. This lets cancer cells grow more quickly. 

Many times, cancer cells rely so heavily on these abnormal behaviors that they can’t survive without them. Researchers have taken advantage of this fact, developing therapies that target the abnormal features of cancer cells. For example, some cancer therapies prevent blood vessels from growing toward tumors , essentially starving the tumor of needed nutrients.  

How Does Cancer Develop?

Cancer is caused by certain changes to genes, the basic physical units of inheritance. Genes are arranged in long strands of tightly packed DNA called chromosomes.

Cancer is a genetic disease—that is, it is caused by changes to genes that control the way our cells function, especially how they grow and divide.

Genetic changes that cause cancer can happen because:

• of errors that occur as cells divide. 
• of damage to DNA caused by harmful substances in the environment, such as the chemicals in tobacco smoke and ultraviolet rays from the sun. (Our Cancer Causes and Prevention section has more information.) 
• they were inherited from our parents. 

The body normally eliminates cells with damaged DNA before they turn cancerous. But the body’s ability to do so goes down as we age. This is part of the reason why there is a higher risk of cancer later in life.

Each person’s cancer has a unique combination of genetic changes. As the cancer continues to grow, additional changes will occur. Even within the same tumor, different cells may have different genetic changes.

Fundamentals of Cancer

Cancer is a disease caused when cells divide uncontrollably and spread into surrounding tissues.

Cancer is caused by changes to DNA. Most cancer-causing DNA changes occur in sections of DNA called genes. These changes are also called genetic changes.

A DNA change can cause genes involved in normal cell growth to become oncogenes. Unlike normal genes, oncogenes cannot be turned off, so they cause uncontrolled cell growth.

 In normal cells, tumor suppressor genes prevent cancer by slowing or stopping cell growth. DNA changes that inactivate tumor suppressor genes can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and cancer.

Within a tumor, cancer cells are surrounded by a variety of immune cells, fibroblasts, molecules, and blood vessels—what’s known as the tumor microenvironment. Cancer cells can change the microenvironment, which in turn can affect how cancer grows and spreads.

Immune system cells can detect and attack cancer cells. But some cancer cells can avoid detection or thwart an attack. Some cancer treatments can help the immune system better detect and kill cancer cells.

Each person’s cancer has a unique combination of genetic changes. Specific genetic changes may make a person’s cancer more or less likely to respond to certain treatments.

Genetic changes that cause cancer can be inherited or arise from certain environmental exposures. Genetic changes can also happen because of errors that occur as cells divide.

Most often, cancer-causing genetic changes accumulate slowly as a person ages, leading to a higher risk of cancer later in life.

Cancer cells can break away from the original tumor and travel through the blood or lymph system to distant locations in the body, where they exit the vessels to form additional tumors. This is called metastasis.

Types of Genes that Cause Cancer

The genetic changes that contribute to cancer tend to affect three main types of genes— proto-oncogenes , tumor suppressor genes , and DNA repair genes. These changes are sometimes called “drivers” of cancer.

Proto-oncogenes are involved in normal cell growth and division. However, when these genes are altered in certain ways or are more active than normal, they may become cancer-causing genes (or oncogenes), allowing cells to grow and survive when they should not.

Tumor suppressor genes are also involved in controlling cell growth and division. Cells with certain alterations in tumor suppressor genes may divide in an uncontrolled manner.

DNA repair genes are involved in fixing damaged DNA. Cells with mutations in these genes tend to develop additional mutations in other genes and changes in their chromosomes, such as duplications and deletions of chromosome parts. Together, these mutations may cause the cells to become cancerous.

As scientists have learned more about the molecular changes that lead to cancer, they have found that certain mutations commonly occur in many types of cancer. Now there are many cancer treatments available that target gene mutations found in cancer . A few of these treatments can be used by anyone with a cancer that has the targeted mutation, no matter where the cancer started growing .

When Cancer Spreads

In metastasis, cancer cells break away from where they first formed and form new tumors in other parts of the body. 

A cancer that has spread from the place where it first formed to another place in the body is called metastatic cancer. The process by which cancer cells spread to other parts of the body is called metastasis.

Metastatic cancer has the same name and the same type of cancer cells as the original, or primary, cancer. For example, breast cancer that forms a metastatic tumor in the lung is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.

Under a microscope, metastatic cancer cells generally look the same as cells of the original cancer. Moreover, metastatic cancer cells and cells of the original cancer usually have some molecular features in common, such as the presence of specific chromosome changes.

In some cases, treatment may help prolong the lives of people with metastatic cancer. In other cases, the primary goal of treatment for metastatic cancer is to control the growth of the cancer or to relieve symptoms it is causing. Metastatic tumors can cause severe damage to how the body functions, and most people who die of cancer die of metastatic disease.  

Tissue Changes that Are Not Cancer

Not every change in the body’s tissues is cancer. Some tissue changes may develop into cancer if they are not treated, however. Here are some examples of tissue changes that are not cancer but, in some cases, are monitored because they could become cancer:

• Hyperplasia occurs when cells within a tissue multiply faster than normal and extra cells build up. However, the cells and the way the tissue is organized still look normal under a microscope. Hyperplasia can be caused by several factors or conditions, including chronic irritation.
• Dysplasia is a more advanced condition than hyperplasia. In dysplasia, there is also a buildup of extra cells. But the cells look abnormal and there are changes in how the tissue is organized. In general, the more abnormal the cells and tissue look, the greater the chance that cancer will form. Some types of dysplasia may need to be monitored or treated, but others do not. An example of dysplasia is an abnormal mole (called a dysplastic nevus ) that forms on the skin. A dysplastic nevus can turn into melanoma, although most do not.
• Carcinoma in situ  is an even more advanced condition. Although it is sometimes called stage 0 cancer, it is not cancer because the abnormal cells do not invade nearby tissue the way that cancer cells do. But because some carcinomas in situ may become cancer, they are usually treated.

Normal cells may become cancer cells. Before cancer cells form in tissues of the body, the cells go through abnormal changes called hyperplasia and dysplasia. In hyperplasia, there is an increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue that appear normal under a microscope. In dysplasia, the cells look abnormal under a microscope but are not cancer. Hyperplasia and dysplasia may or may not become cancer.

Types of Cancer

There are more than 100 types of cancer. Types of cancer are usually named for the organs or tissues where the cancers form. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and brain cancer starts in the brain. Cancers also may be described by the type of cell that formed them, such as an epithelial cell or a squamous cell .

You can search NCI’s website for information on specific types of cancer based on the cancer’s location in the body or by using our A to Z List of Cancers . We also have information on childhood cancers and cancers in adolescents and young adults .

Here are some categories of cancers that begin in specific types of cells:

Carcinomas are the most common type of cancer. They are formed by epithelial cells, which are the cells that cover the inside and outside surfaces of the body. There are many types of epithelial cells, which often have a column-like shape when viewed under a microscope.

Carcinomas that begin in different epithelial cell types have specific names:

Adenocarcinoma is a cancer that forms in epithelial cells that produce fluids or mucus. Tissues with this type of epithelial cell are sometimes called glandular tissues. Most cancers of the breast, colon, and prostate are adenocarcinomas.

Basal cell carcinoma is a cancer that begins in the lower or basal (base) layer of the epidermis, which is a person’s outer layer of skin.

Squamous cell carcinoma is a cancer that forms in squamous cells, which are epithelial cells that lie just beneath the outer surface of the skin. Squamous cells also line many other organs, including the stomach, intestines, lungs, bladder, and kidneys. Squamous cells look flat, like fish scales, when viewed under a microscope. Squamous cell carcinomas are sometimes called epidermoid carcinomas.

Transitional cell carcinoma is a cancer that forms in a type of epithelial tissue called transitional epithelium, or urothelium. This tissue, which is made up of many layers of epithelial cells that can get bigger and smaller, is found in the linings of the bladder, ureters, and part of the kidneys (renal pelvis), and a few other organs. Some cancers of the bladder, ureters, and kidneys are transitional cell carcinomas.

Soft tissue sarcoma forms in soft tissues of the body, including muscle, tendons, fat, blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerves, and tissue around joints.

Sarcomas are cancers that form in bone and soft tissues, including muscle, fat, blood vessels, lymph vessels , and fibrous tissue (such as tendons and ligaments).

Osteosarcoma is the most common cancer of bone. The most common types of soft tissue sarcoma are leiomyosarcoma , Kaposi sarcoma , malignant fibrous histiocytoma , liposarcoma , and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans .

Our page on soft tissue sarcoma has more information.

Cancers that begin in the blood-forming tissue of the bone marrow are called leukemias. These cancers do not form solid tumors. Instead, large numbers of abnormal white blood cells (leukemia cells and leukemic blast cells) build up in the blood and bone marrow, crowding out normal blood cells. The low level of normal blood cells can make it harder for the body to get oxygen to its tissues, control bleeding, or fight infections.  

There are four common types of leukemia, which are grouped based on how quickly the disease gets worse (acute or chronic) and on the type of blood cell the cancer starts in (lymphoblastic or myeloid). Acute forms of leukemia grow quickly and chronic forms grow more slowly.

Our page on leukemia has more information.

Lymphoma is cancer that begins in lymphocytes (T cells or B cells). These are disease-fighting white blood cells that are part of the immune system. In lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes build up in lymph nodes and lymph vessels, as well as in other organs of the body.

There are two main types of lymphoma:

Hodgkin lymphoma – People with this disease have abnormal lymphocytes that are called Reed-Sternberg cells. These cells usually form from B cells.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – This is a large group of cancers that start in lymphocytes. The cancers can grow quickly or slowly and can form from B cells or T cells.

Our page on lymphoma has more information.

Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is cancer that begins in plasma cells , another type of immune cell. The abnormal plasma cells, called myeloma cells, build up in the bone marrow and form tumors in bones all through the body. Multiple myeloma is also called plasma cell myeloma and Kahler disease.

Our page on multiple myeloma and other plasma cell neoplasms has more information.

Melanoma is cancer that begins in cells that become melanocytes, which are specialized cells that make melanin (the pigment that gives skin its color). Most melanomas form on the skin, but melanomas can also form in other pigmented tissues, such as the eye.

Our pages on skin cancer and intraocular melanoma have more information.

Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

There are different types of brain and spinal cord tumors. These tumors are named based on the type of cell in which they formed and where the tumor first formed in the central nervous system. For example, an astrocytic tumor begins in star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes , which help keep nerve cells healthy. Brain tumors can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

Our page on brain and spinal cord tumors has more information.

Other Types of Tumors

Germ cell tumors.

Germ cell tumors are a type of tumor that begins in the cells that give rise to sperm or eggs. These tumors can occur almost anywhere in the body and can be either benign or malignant.

Our page of cancers by body location/system includes a list of germ cell tumors with links to more information.

Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors form from cells that release hormones into the blood in response to a signal from the nervous system. These tumors, which may make higher-than-normal amounts of hormones, can cause many different symptoms. Neuroendocrine tumors may be benign or malignant.

Our definition of neuroendocrine tumors has more information.

Carcinoid Tumors

Carcinoid tumors are a type of neuroendocrine tumor. They are slow-growing tumors that are usually found in the gastrointestinal system (most often in the rectum and small intestine). Carcinoid tumors may spread to the liver or other sites in the body, and they may secrete substances such as serotonin or prostaglandins, causing carcinoid syndrome .

Our page on gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors has more information.

• Tips & Tools for Writing

Writing Tips for Winning Essays

Key elements.

• Focus –  An essay should have a clear, central idea. Know what you’re going to write about and don’t wander. Before writing, consider creating an outline to organize your ideas.
• Stay on point –  A good essay should be organized and flow, especially from one paragraph to the next. Flow is essential for readers to understand what you’re writing about. A good tip is to read your essay out loud. This will help you notice any problems or sections that need to be rewritten. 
• Good grammar – Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and word choice. Mistakes can cause you to lose credibility and make your readers stop reading. 
• Voice –  You have a writing voice; use it! It’s called creativity. The best writing voice carries your personality and is unique to you. Don’t try to copy what you think is good form. Be aware of it, but make sure what you write is yours and no one else’s.

Before Writing

• Understand your assignment.  What is the goal of this essay? What do I want to convey? What is the length and deadline?
• Determine your central point or argument. A clear point of view is essential for a focused essay.
• Create an outline.  Outline what you want to say and map out a structure for your essay. This keeps you on track, focused, and makes it easier to start writing. Once you have a clear idea of what you want to say, what evidence you’ll use, and in what order, you’re ready to start writing!

While Writing

• Hook your reader. The introduction sets the tone for your essay. The first sentence should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity and inform them of what to expect. It could be a surprising fact, a bold statement, or a short anecdote related to your message.
• Provide context. This includes a few additional details that will help your reader undertsand your argument.
• Give details. This is in the body of your essay where you will tell your story, provide facts, and the evidence that you really want to convey.
• Wrap it up.  Your essay’s ending ties together your main points. A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence or even a paragraph that leaves the reader with a strong final impression. Avoid including new information, undermining your main point, or using phrases like “in conclusion”.

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Cancer Control: Knowledge Into Action: WHO Guide for Effective Programmes: Module 4: Diagnosis and Treatment. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008.

Cancer Control: Knowledge Into Action: WHO Guide for Effective Programmes: Module 4: Diagnosis and Treatment.

A plan for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a key component of any overall cancer control plan. Its main goal is to cure cancer patients or prolong their life considerably, ensuring a good quality of life. In order for a diagnosis and treatment programme to be effective, it must never be developed in isolation. It needs to be linked to an early detection programme so that cases are detected at an early stage, when treatment is more effective and there is a greater chance of cure. It also needs to be integrated with a palliative care programme, so that patients with advanced cancers, who can no longer benefit from treatment, will get adequate relief from their physical, psychosocial and spiritual suffering. Furthermore, programmes should include a awareness-raising component, to educate patients, family and community members about the cancer risk factors and the need for taking preventive measures to avoid developing cancer.

Where resources are limited, diagnosis and treatment services should initially target all patients presenting with curable cancers, such as breast, cervical and oral cancers that can be detected early. They could also include childhood acute lymphatic leukaemia, which has a high potential for cure although it cannot be detected early. Above all, services need to be provided in an equitable and sustainable manner. As and when more resources become available, the programme can be extended to include other curable cancers as well as cancers for which treatment can prolong survival considerably.

This module on diagnosis and treatment is intended to evolve in response to national needs and experience. WHO welcomes input from countries wishing to share their successes in diagnosis and treatment. WHO also welcomes requests from countries for information relevant to their specific needs. Evidence on the barriers to diagnosis and treatment in country contexts – and the lessons learned in overcoming them – would be especially welcome (contact at http://www.who.int/cancer ).

All rights reserved. Publications of the World Health Organization can be obtained from WHO Press, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland (tel.: +41 22 791 3264; fax: +41 22 791 4857; e-mail: tni.ohw@sredrokoob ). Requests for permission to reproduce or translate WHO publications – whether for sale or for noncommercial distribution – should be addressed to WHO Press, at the above address (fax: +41 22 791 4806; e-mail: tni.ohw@snoissimrep ).

• Cite this Page Cancer Control: Knowledge Into Action: WHO Guide for Effective Programmes: Module 4: Diagnosis and Treatment. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008. CONCLUSION.
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Cancer Supertests Are Here

But are they really such a good idea?

It takes a certain amount of confidence to call your biotech company Grail. According to its website, the Menlo Park–based firm got its name because its “co-founders believed a simple blood test could be the ‘holy GRAIL’ of cancer detection.” Now the company claims that its “first-of-its-kind” screening tool, called Galleri , “redefines what’s possible.” At the cost of a needle stick and $949, the company can check your blood for more than 50 forms of cancer all at once.

The Galleri test, as well as many others of its type that are in development , is meant to sniff out malignant DNA floating in a person’s veins, including bits of tumors that otherwise might not be identified until they’ve spread. But the rapid introduction of this new technology, which is now available through major U.S. health systems, isn’t really guaranteed to help patients. Indeed, a contentious debate about its potential benefits has been playing out in the scientific literature for the past few years. Multi-cancer-screening tools—or “ cancer-finding supertests ,” as Galleri has been called— aren’t yet endorsed by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration. For the moment, health-care providers can offer Galleri only through a commonly used regulatory loophole that the government is desperately trying to close. Being able to distribute the company’s “prescription-only, well-validated test” in advance of full FDA approval is a good thing, Kristen Davis, a Grail spokesperson told me, because it gives patients “timely access to an important tool in the detection of unscreened cancers and allows for important real-world evidence collection.” That’s one way to look at it. Here’s another: The rush to get Galleri and related products into doctors’ offices skips right over the most important step in clinical development: proving that they really work.

“The status quo for cancer screening remains unacceptable,” Davis said. She’s right. Even traditional early-detection tests are controversial within the medical community. As a hospital pathologist who diagnoses cancer daily, I’ve seen firsthand how mammograms and Pap smears, among other traditional procedures, save some people’s lives—and also how they cause a lot of overtreatment . (They miss many lethal cancers, too.) Blood-based cancer screening, in particular, had an ignominious start. Most men middle-aged and older in the U.S. get PSA tests, which look for abnormal levels of a protein secreted from the prostate gland that may indicate malignancy. But many of the tumors those tests identify are slow-growing, harmless ones; their discovery leads to an epidemic of unnecessary surgery and radiation—and a subsequent epidemic of incontinence and impotence. Recognizing this harm, the scientist who first identified PSA more than half a century ago expressed his regret in 2010, calling widespread screening “a profit-driven public health disaster.”

Modern blood-based cancer tests (or “liquid biopsies”), which look for a tumor’s genetic material, have been more promising. The first was approved by the FDA in 2016. It allows patients who already know that they have lung cancer to avoid an invasive tissue-collection process while still receiving the right, targeted therapy for their particular disease. Today, liquid biopsies exist for other kinds of cancer, too, and are used to tailor treatment for people who are aware of being sick.

Unleashing the same technique on the general population, in an effort to find hidden cancers in healthy-seeming people, is in principle a reasonable idea. But in 2020, when Grail started trying its technology on thousands of adults without cancer symptoms, the company found that a majority of positive signals—the signs of potential tumors that it identified—weren’t real. Dozens of healthy participants were flagged as possibly having cancer; most suffered through unnecessary laboratory and imaging follow-up. One unlucky subject described in the published study even had a testicle removed in the hunt for a malignancy that didn’t exist. Another blood-based supertest called CancerSeek—which forms the basis of a multi-cancer test now under commercial development —had shown the same problem when an early iteration of it was studied in some 10,000 women : Registered blood “abnormalities” led to confirmed cancer diagnoses less than half of the time. False positives with CancerSeek caused some patients to have operations on their ovaries, colon, or appendix.

No form of cancer screening will be perfect, and Davis pointed out that “when used as recommended, in addition to current single-cancer screenings, the Galleri test can help screen for some of the deadliest cancers that often come with no warning today.” For cancers of the pancreas, ovaries, esophagus, and liver, she suggested, any form of screening will be better than what we currently have: nothing. Grail researchers have also noted that its technology “ compares favourably ” to other, more familiar single-cancer tests in the sense that a smaller proportion of patients end up with spurious results. (One in 200 people will experience a false positive with Galleri, while the same is true for about one in 10 women who get a mammogram.)

But an imperfect screening tool is not always better than no screening tool at all. We already have reasonably accurate early-detection tests for pancreatic and ovarian cancer, for example, but experts recommend against their widespread use because—counterintuitively—screening healthy patients does little to extend their lives and comes with its own harms. And although it is true that Galleri’s false-positive rate is quite good in comparison to those of mammograms, PSA tests, and Pap smears, that’s only half the story. A glitchy answer from a cancer supertest like Grail’s may well be worse than the equivalent mistake in, say, a breast exam. The latter would only lead to further hunting for a tumor in the breast—perhaps with an ultrasound or MRI. In contrast, the follow-up for a suspect finding from a screen for 50 different cancers could be body-wide, producing yet more ambiguous results—such as the discovery of kidney cysts or lung nodules—that generate their own tests and surgeries.

When Galleri finds a potential tumor, it does provide doctors with some hints as to where that tumor might be located. In practice, though, doctors will likely err on the side of running lots of tests. Positive signals are often followed by a PET-CT scan, for example, which costs about $2,500 and exposes people to 62 times the radiation of a mammogram. In Grail’s own research , participants who received a false-positive result were generally subjected to multiple additional lab and imaging tests—sometimes as many as 16 laboratory studies and 10 clinic visits.

Read: When cancer screening stopped

More thorough and extensive testing takes longer, too. An errant mammogram might be resolved fairly quickly, with conclusive follow-up testing done a few weeks later. The equivalent delay after an abnormal Pap smear is less than two months , generally speaking. In the aftermath of multi-cancer blood-test screenings, though, worried patients may have to bide their time for almost half a year before a doctor reassures them that they do not, in fact, have cancer. Subjects in Grail’s study who received a false-positive result spent an average of 162 days in suspense before being cleared.

When I asked Grail about potential harms of the test, including this delay, the spokesperson told me that Galleri offers diagnostic guidance for doctors and patients who test positive through “a suite of services, including direct support from our medical science liaisons.” Grail has also presented data suggesting that the distress of patients who receive false positives tends to go away over time. Some people, however, may never feel completely at ease knowing that cancer-related genetic code is circulating in their veins. The medical system is very good at puncturing patients’ confidence in their own health.

Some anxiety may be worth experiencing for the opportunity to catch an actual cancer before it turns fatal. But that exchange would only work if curable cancers could be consistently picked up in our blood. Galleri is much better at detecting advanced malignancies—which shed more genetic material, and many of which are incurable—than small ones that are worth finding sooner. Galleri is billed as an early-detection test, but just one out of five cancers it finds is identified at Stage 1, which is the earliest stage. At this point, the same is true for other blood-based screening strategies, as well.

Read: Theranos and COVID-19 testing are mirror-image cautionary tales

The only way to know for sure whether cancer-finding supertests truly save lives is to evaluate them in a large randomized, controlled trial. The U.K.’s National Health Service has enrolled 140,000 participants in such a study of Galleri; the main results, on whether the test can find cancers before they spread, are expected in a year or two. Then researchers will keep track of whether participants have their lives extended in the years that follow. In the meantime, U.S. efforts are running far behind. The National Cancer Institute is planning for a 24,000-person pilot study of multi-cancer screening, but any bigger and more useful randomized trial won’t begin for a long time .

The fact that all of this research is ongoing hasn’t stopped Grail from offering its wares to the public. The company recently sponsored a PGA Champions Tour event in California, where players and fans were offered cancer-screening blood tests on the golf course at a $100 discount; more than 100,000 Galleri tests have been performed in the U.S. since they first became commercially available. Meanwhile, hundreds of advocacy groups are lobbying the government to pay for multi-cancer-screening tests through Medicare. By one estimate , widespread adoption could cost Americans more than $100 billion annually—dwarfing the $7.8 billion spent on mammograms as of 2010, or the $6.6 billion spent on Pap smears.

It’s hard to miss the scientific challenge that still remains. In what might be a bit of corporate retconning, when Barron’s spoke with one of Grail’s co-founders about the story behind the company’s name in 2021, he wasn’t quoted saying that the company thought its blood test could be the holy grail of cancer screening. Rather, he said the name was chosen “out of humility,” because “the Holy Grail was never found.” That humility isn’t in the pitch to patients, though. Most people who use the product today will have no idea that they are generating “real-world evidence” for a technology that may yet be found unable to extend their lives. They’ll assume that if cancer-finding supertests are available in clinics, then we must already know that they’re worth using. We don’t.

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Oncology — Breast Cancer

Essays About Breast Cancer

Brief description of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the cells of the breast. It is the second most common cancer in women and can also affect men. Breast cancer can be invasive or non-invasive and is often detected through screening and self-examination. Early detection and treatment are crucial for improving outcomes and survival rates.

Importance of Writing Essays on This Topic

Essays on breast cancer are significant for academic and personal exploration as they provide an opportunity to raise awareness about the disease, its risk factors, prevention, and treatment options. Writing about breast cancer also allows individuals to share personal experiences, advocate for research and support, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding this prevalent health issue.

Tips on Choosing a Good Topic

• Consider exploring the latest research and advancements in breast cancer treatment and prevention.
• Reflect on personal experiences or those of loved ones affected by breast cancer for a more personal and impactful essay.
• Investigate the societal and cultural impact of breast cancer, including awareness campaigns, advocacy, and support networks.

Essay Topics

• The Role of Genetic Testing in Breast Cancer Prevention
• The Impact of Lifestyle Choices on Breast Cancer Risk
• The Emotional and Psychological Effects of Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
• The Importance of Early Detection and Screening for Breast Cancer
• The Societal Stigma and Misconceptions Surrounding Breast Cancer
• Exploring Alternative and Complementary Therapies for Breast Cancer Patients
• The Influence of Support Networks and Advocacy Groups in Breast Cancer Awareness
• Analyzing the Economic and Social Burden of Breast Cancer on Patients and Families
• Debunking Common Myths and Misinformation about Breast Cancer
• The Role of Hormone Therapy in Breast Cancer Treatment

Concluding Thought

By writing essays on breast cancer, individuals can contribute to a better understanding of the disease, its impact, and the importance of ongoing research and support. Engaging with this topic through writing can help raise awareness, provide support, and inspire positive change within the community.

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Why is cancer called cancer? We need to go back to Greco-Roman times for the answer

McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne

Disclosure statement

Konstantine Panegyres does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, developed a cancer between his groin and scrotum. As the cancer spread, Satyrus had ever greater pains. He was unable to sleep and had convulsions.

Advanced cancers in that part of the body were regarded as inoperable, and there were no drugs strong enough to alleviate the agony. So doctors could do nothing. Eventually, the cancer took Satyrus’ life at the age of 65.

Cancer was already well known in this period. A text written in the late fifth or early fourth century BC, called Diseases of Women , described how breast cancer develops:

hard growths form […] out of them hidden cancers develop […] pains shoot up from the patients’ breasts to their throats, and around their shoulder blades […] such patients become thin through their whole body […] breathing decreases, the sense of smell is lost […]

Other medical works of this period describe different sorts of cancers. A woman from the Greek city of Abdera died from a cancer of the chest; a man with throat cancer survived after his doctor burned away the tumour.

Where does the word ‘cancer’ come from?

The word cancer comes from the same era. In the late fifth and early fourth century BC, doctors were using the word karkinos – the ancient Greek word for crab – to describe malignant tumours. Later, when Latin-speaking doctors described the same disease, they used the Latin word for crab: cancer . So, the name stuck.

Even in ancient times, people wondered why doctors named the disease after an animal. One explanation was the crab is an aggressive animal, just as cancer can be an aggressive disease ; another explanation was the crab can grip one part of a person’s body with its claws and be difficult to remove, just as cancer can be difficult to remove once it has developed . Others thought it was because of the appearance of the tumour.

The physician Galen (129-216 AD) described breast cancer in his work A Method of Medicine to Glaucon , and compared the form of the tumour to the form of a crab:

We have often seen in the breasts a tumour exactly like a crab. Just as that animal has feet on either side of its body, so too in this disease the veins of the unnatural swelling are stretched out on either side, creating a form similar to a crab.

Not everyone agreed what caused cancer

In the Greco-Roman period, there were different opinions about the cause of cancer.

According to a widespread ancient medical theory, the body has four humours: blood, yellow bile, phlegm and black bile. These four humours need to be kept in a state of balance, otherwise a person becomes sick . If a person suffered from an excess of black bile, it was thought this would eventually lead to cancer.

The physician Erasistratus, who lived from around 315 to 240 BC, disagreed. However, so far as we know, he did not offer an alternative explanation.

How was cancer treated?

Cancer was treated in a range of different ways . It was thought that cancers in their early stages could be cured using medications.

These included drugs derived from plants (such as cucumber, narcissus bulb, castor bean, bitter vetch, cabbage); animals (such as the ash of a crab); and metals (such as arsenic).

Galen claimed that by using this sort of medication, and repeatedly purging his patients with emetics or enemas, he was sometimes successful at making emerging cancers disappear. He said the same treatment sometimes prevented more advanced cancers from continuing to grow. However, he also said surgery is necessary if these medications do not work.

Surgery was usually avoided as patients tended to die from blood loss. The most successful operations were on cancers of the tip of the breast. Leonidas, a physician who lived in the second and third century AD, described his method, which involved cauterising (burning):

I usually operate in cases where the tumours do not extend into the chest […] When the patient has been placed on her back, I incise the healthy area of the breast above the tumour and then cauterize the incision until scabs form and the bleeding is stanched. Then I incise again, marking out the area as I cut deeply into the breast, and again I cauterize. I do this [incising and cauterizing] quite often […] This way the bleeding is not dangerous. After the excision is complete I again cauterize the entire area until it is dessicated.

Cancer was generally regarded as an incurable disease, and so it was feared. Some people with cancer, such as the poet Silius Italicus (26-102 AD), died by suicide to end the torment.

Patients would also pray to the gods for hope of a cure. An example of this is Innocentia, an aristocratic lady who lived in Carthage (in modern-day Tunisia) in the fifth century AD. She told her doctor divine intervention had cured her breast cancer, though her doctor did not believe her .

From the past into the future

We began with Satyrus, a tyrant in the fourth century BC. In the 2,400 years or so since then, much has changed in our knowledge of what causes cancer, how to prevent it and how to treat it. We also know there are more than 200 different types of cancer. Some people’s cancers are so successfully managed, they go on to live long lives.

But there is still no general “cure for cancer”, a disease that about one in five people develop in their lifetime. In 2022 alone , there were about 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cancer deaths globally. We clearly have a long way to go.

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• Classical antiquity

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Thousands Believe Covid Vaccines Harmed Them. Is Anyone Listening?

All vaccines have at least occasional side effects. But people who say they were injured by Covid vaccines believe their cases have been ignored.

Shaun Barcavage, 54, a nurse practitioner in New York City, said that ever since his first Covid shot, standing up has sent his heart racing. Credit... Hannah Yoon for The New York Times

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By Apoorva Mandavilli

Apoorva Mandavilli spent more than a year talking to dozens of experts in vaccine science, policymakers and people who said they had experienced serious side effects after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.

• Published May 3, 2024 Updated May 4, 2024

Within minutes of getting the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, Michelle Zimmerman felt pain racing from her left arm up to her ear and down to her fingertips. Within days, she was unbearably sensitive to light and struggled to remember simple facts.

She was 37, with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, and until then could ride her bicycle 20 miles, teach a dance class and give a lecture on artificial intelligence, all in the same day. Now, more than three years later, she lives with her parents. Eventually diagnosed with brain damage, she cannot work, drive or even stand for long periods of time.

“When I let myself think about the devastation of what this has done to my life, and how much I’ve lost, sometimes it feels even too hard to comprehend,” said Dr. Zimmerman, who believes her injury is due to a contaminated vaccine batch .

The Covid vaccines, a triumph of science and public health, are estimated to have prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths . Yet even the best vaccines produce rare but serious side effects . And the Covid vaccines have been given to more than 270 million people in the United States, in nearly 677 million doses .

Dr. Zimmerman’s account is among the more harrowing, but thousands of Americans believe they suffered serious side effects following Covid vaccination. As of April, just over 13,000 vaccine-injury compensation claims have been filed with the federal government — but to little avail. Only 19 percent have been reviewed. Only 47 of those were deemed eligible for compensation, and only 12 have been paid out, at an average of about $3,600 .

Some scientists fear that patients with real injuries are being denied help and believe that more needs to be done to clarify the possible risks.

“At least long Covid has been somewhat recognized,” said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist and vaccine expert at Yale University. But people who say they have post-vaccination injuries are “just completely ignored and dismissed and gaslighted,” she added.

In interviews and email exchanges conducted over several months, federal health officials insisted that serious side effects were extremely rare and that their surveillance efforts were more than sufficient to detect patterns of adverse events.

“Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have safely received Covid vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history,” Jeff Nesbit, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in an emailed statement.

But in a recent interview, Dr. Janet Woodcock, a longtime leader of the Food and Drug Administration, who retired in February, said she believed that some recipients had experienced uncommon but “serious” and “life-changing” reactions beyond those described by federal agencies.

“I feel bad for those people,” said Dr. Woodcock, who became the F.D.A.’s acting commissioner in January 2021 as the vaccines were rolling out. “I believe their suffering should be acknowledged, that they have real problems, and they should be taken seriously.”

“I’m disappointed in myself,” she added. “I did a lot of things I feel very good about, but this is one of the few things I feel I just didn’t bring it home.”

Federal officials and independent scientists face a number of challenges in identifying potential vaccine side effects.

The nation’s fragmented health care system complicates detection of very rare side effects, a process that depends on an analysis of huge amounts of data. That’s a difficult task when a patient may be tested for Covid at Walgreens, get vaccinated at CVS, go to a local clinic for minor ailments and seek care at a hospital for serious conditions. Each place may rely on different health record systems.

There is no central repository of vaccine recipients, nor of medical records, and no easy to way to pool these data. Reports to the largest federal database of so-called adverse events can be made by anyone, about anything. It’s not even clear what officials should be looking for.

“I mean, you’re not going to find ‘brain fog’ in the medical record or claims data, and so then you’re not going to find” a signal that it may be linked to vaccination, Dr. Woodcock said. If such a side effect is not acknowledged by federal officials, “it’s because it doesn’t have a good research definition,” she added. “It isn’t, like, malevolence on their part.”

The government’s understaffed compensation fund has paid so little because it officially recognizes few side effects for Covid vaccines. And vaccine supporters, including federal officials, worry that even a whisper of possible side effects feeds into misinformation spread by a vitriolic anti-vaccine movement.

‘I’m Not Real’

Patients who believe they experienced serious side effects say they have received little support or acknowledgment.

Shaun Barcavage, 54, a nurse practitioner in New York City who has worked on clinical trials for H.I.V. and Covid, said that ever since his first Covid shot, merely standing up sent his heart racing — a symptom suggestive of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome , a neurological disorder that some studies have linked to both Covid and, much less often, vaccination .

He also experienced stinging pain in his eyes, mouth and genitals, which has abated, and tinnitus, which has not.

“I can’t get the government to help me,” Mr. Barcavage said of his fruitless pleas to federal agencies and elected representatives. “I am told I’m not real. I’m told I’m rare. I’m told I’m coincidence.”

Renee France, 49, a physical therapist in Seattle, developed Bell’s palsy — a form of facial paralysis, usually temporary — and a dramatic rash that neatly bisected her face. Bell’s palsy is a known side effect of other vaccines, and it has been linked to Covid vaccination in some studies.

But Dr. France said doctors were dismissive of any connection to the Covid vaccines. The rash, a bout of shingles, debilitated her for three weeks, so Dr. France reported it to federal databases twice.

“I thought for sure someone would reach out, but no one ever did,” she said.

Similar sentiments were echoed in interviews, conducted over more than a year, with 30 people who said they had been harmed by Covid shots. They described a variety of symptoms following vaccination, some neurological, some autoimmune, some cardiovascular.

All said they had been turned away by physicians, told their symptoms were psychosomatic, or labeled anti-vaccine by family and friends — despite the fact that they supported vaccines.

Even leading experts in vaccine science have run up against disbelief and ambivalence.

Dr. Gregory Poland, 68, editor in chief of the journal Vaccine, said that a loud whooshing sound in his ears had accompanied every moment since his first shot, but that his entreaties to colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explore the phenomenon, tinnitus, had led nowhere.

He received polite responses to his many emails, but “I just don’t get any sense of movement,” he said.

“If they have done studies, those studies should be published,” Dr. Poland added. In despair that he might “never hear silence again,” he has sought solace in meditation and his religious faith.

Dr. Buddy Creech, 50, who led several Covid vaccine trials at Vanderbilt University, said his tinnitus and racing heart lasted about a week after each shot. “It’s very similar to what I experienced during acute Covid, back in March of 2020,” Dr. Creech said.

Research may ultimately find that most reported side effects are unrelated to the vaccine, he acknowledged. Many can be caused by Covid itself.

“Regardless, when our patients experience a side effect that may or may not be related to the vaccine, we owe it to them to investigate that as completely as we can,” Dr. Creech said.

Federal health officials say they do not believe that the Covid vaccines caused the illnesses described by patients like Mr. Barcavage, Dr. Zimmerman and Dr. France. The vaccines may cause transient reactions, such as swelling, fatigue and fever, according to the C.D.C., but the agency has documented only four serious but rare side effects .

Two are associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is no longer available in the United States: Guillain-Barré syndrome , a known side effect of other vaccines , including the flu shot; and a blood-clotting disorder.

The C.D.C. also links mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to heart inflammation, or myocarditis, especially in boys and young men. And the agency warns of anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction, which can occur after any vaccination.

Listening for Signals

Agency scientists are monitoring large databases containing medical information on millions of Americans for patterns that might suggest a hitherto unknown side effect of vaccination, said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the C.D.C.’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

“We toe the line by reporting the signals that we think are real signals and reporting them as soon as we identify them as signals,” he said. The agency’s systems for monitoring vaccine safety are “pretty close” to ideal, he said.

Those national surveillance efforts include the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). It is the largest database, but also the least reliable: Reports of side effects can be submitted by anyone and are not vetted, so they may be subject to bias or manipulation.

The system contains roughly one million reports regarding Covid vaccination, the vast majority for mild events, according to the C.D.C.

Federal researchers also comb through databases that combine electronic health records and insurance claims on tens of millions of Americans. The scientists monitor the data for 23 conditions that may occur following Covid vaccination. Officials remain alert to others that may pop up, Dr. Daskalakis said.

But there are gaps, some experts noted. The Covid shots administered at mass vaccination sites were not recorded in insurance claims databases, for example, and medical records in the United States are not centralized.

“It’s harder to see signals when you have so many people, and things are happening in different parts of the country, and they’re not all collected in the same system,” said Rebecca Chandler, a vaccine safety expert at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

An expert panel convened by the National Academies concluded in April that for the vast majority of side effects, there was not enough data to accept or reject a link.

Asked at a recent congressional hearing whether the nation’s vaccine-safety surveillance was sufficient, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the F.D.A.’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said, “I do believe we could do better.”

In some countries with centralized health care systems, officials have actively sought out reports of serious side effects of Covid vaccines and reached conclusions that U.S. health authorities have not.

In Hong Kong, the government analyzed centralized medical records of patients after vaccination and paid people to come forward with problems. The strategy identified “a lot of mild cases that other countries would not otherwise pick up,” said Ian Wong, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong who led the nation’s vaccine safety efforts.

That included the finding that in rare instances — about seven per million doses — the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine triggered a bout of shingles serious enough to require hospitalization.

The European Medicines Agency has linked the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to facial paralysis, tingling sensations and numbness. The E.M.A. also counts tinnitus as a side effect of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, although the American health agencies do not. There are more than 17,000 reports of tinnitus following Covid vaccination in VAERS.

Are the two linked? It’s not clear. As many as one in four adults has some form of tinnitus. Stress, anxiety, grief and aging can lead to the condition, as can infections like Covid itself and the flu.

There is no test or scan for tinnitus, and scientists cannot easily study it because the inner ear is tiny, delicate and encased in bone, said Dr. Konstantina Stankovic, an otolaryngologist at Stanford University.

Still, an analysis of health records from nearly 2.6 million people in the United States found that about 0.04 percent , or about 1,000, were diagnosed with tinnitus within three weeks of their first mRNA shot. In March, researchers in Australia published a study linking tinnitus and vertigo to the vaccines .

The F.D.A. is monitoring reports of tinnitus, but “at this time, the available evidence does not suggest a causal association with the Covid-19 vaccines,” the agency said in a statement.

Despite surveillance efforts, U.S. officials were not the first to identify a significant Covid vaccine side effect: myocarditis in young people receiving mRNA vaccines. It was Israeli authorities who first raised the alarm in April 2021. Officials in the United States said at the time that they had not seen a link.

On May 22, 2021, news broke that the C.D.C. was investigating a “relatively few” cases of myocarditis. By June 23, the number of myocarditis reports in VAERS had risen to more than 1,200 — a hint that it is important to tell doctors and patients what to look for.

Later analyses showed that the risk for myocarditis and pericarditis, a related condition, is highest after a second dose of an mRNA Covid vaccine in adolescent males aged 12 to 17 years.

In many people, vaccine-related myocarditis is transient. But some patients continue to experience pain, breathlessness and depression, and some show persistent changes on heart scans . The C.D.C. has said there were no confirmed deaths related to myocarditis, but in fact there have been several accounts of deaths reported post-vaccination .

Pervasive Misinformation

The rise of the anti-vaccine movement has made it difficult for scientists, in and out of government, to candidly address potential side effects, some experts said. Much of the narrative on the purported dangers of Covid vaccines is patently false, or at least exaggerated, cooked up by savvy anti-vaccine campaigns.

Questions about Covid vaccine safety are core to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. Citing debunked theories about altered DNA, Florida’s surgeon general has called for a halt to Covid vaccination in the state.

“The sheer nature of misinformation, the scale of misinformation, is staggering, and anything will be twisted to make it seem like it’s not just a devastating side effect but proof of a massive cover-up,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a vice dean at Johns Hopkins University.

Among the hundreds of millions of Americans who were immunized for Covid, some number would have had heart attacks or strokes anyway. Some women would have miscarried. How to distinguish those caused by the vaccine from those that are coincidences? The only way to resolve the question is intense research .

But the National Institutes of Health is conducting virtually no studies on Covid vaccine safety, several experts noted. William Murphy, a cancer researcher who worked at the N.I.H. for 12 years, has been prodding federal health officials to initiate these studies since 2021.

The officials each responded with “that very tired mantra: ‘But the virus is worse,’” Dr. Murphy recalled. “Yes, the virus is worse, but that doesn’t obviate doing research to make sure that there may be other options.”

A deeper understanding of possible side effects, and who is at risk for them, could have implications for the design of future vaccines, or may indicate that for some young and healthy people, the benefit of Covid shots may no longer outweigh the risks — as some European countries have determined.

Thorough research might also speed assistance to thousands of Americans who say they were injured.

The federal government has long run the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program , designed to compensate people who suffer injuries after vaccination. Established more than three decades ago, the program sets no limit on the amounts awarded to people found to have been harmed.

But Covid vaccines are not covered by that fund because Congress has not made them subject to the excise tax that pays for it. Some lawmakers have introduced bills to make the change.

Instead, claims regarding Covid vaccines go to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program . Intended for public health emergencies, this program has narrow criteria to pay out and sets a limit of $50,000, with stringent standards of proof.

It requires applicants to prove within a year of the injury that it was “the direct result” of getting the Covid vaccine, based on “compelling, reliable, valid, medical, and scientific evidence.”

The program had only four staff members at the beginning of the pandemic, and now has 35 people evaluating claims. Still, it has reviewed only a fraction of the 13,000 claims filed, and has paid out only a dozen.

Dr. Ilka Warshawsky, a 58-year-old pathologist, said she lost all hearing in her right ear after a Covid booster shot. But hearing loss is not a recognized side effect of Covid vaccination.

The compensation program for Covid vaccines sets a high bar for proof, she said, yet offers little information on how to meet it: “These adverse events can be debilitating and life-altering, and so it’s very upsetting that they’re not acknowledged or addressed.”

Dr. Zimmerman, the neuroscientist, submitted her application in October 2021 and provided dozens of supporting medical documents. She received a claim number only in January 2023.

In adjudicating her claim for workers’ compensation, Washington State officials accepted that Covid vaccination caused her injury, but she has yet to get a decision from the federal program.

One of her therapists recently told her she might never be able to live independently again.

“That felt like a devastating blow,” Dr. Zimmerman said. “But I’m trying not to lose hope there will someday be a treatment and a way to cover it.”

Apoorva Mandavilli is a reporter focused on science and global health. She was a part of the team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of the pandemic. More about Apoorva Mandavilli

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