Cancer is one of the worst diseases that can occur in any person. They are called malignant tumors that form in various parts of the body.
How does cancer appear?
Doctors believe that the occurrence of cancer is a combination of internal and external factors. The former means a significant decrease in the level of nonspecific immunity that every person has, and the latter means exposure to harmful substances and the resulting genetic mutations.
Cells mutate, their atypical division begins, benign and malignant tumors are formed. The first either does not interfere with a person, or they can be removed without consequences for the body. But malignant tumors are cancer. There are a large number of types of this disease. Some can be cured, some are fatal in the vast majority of cases.
For what reason, cancer can eventually develop, no one knows. There is no exact answer to this question. Therefore, many people are concerned about how cancer is transmitted. Is it possible to get infected from a patient by contact? Is cancer inherited? No, you can’t get cancer with airborne droplets, and yes, there is a risk of getting such genes.
Cancer inherited
For many people, cancer has taken the closest and dearest. So many innocent children suffer from this terrible disease! Involuntarily you ask yourself this question: “What if a newly born child has this disease, because there were relatives who suffered from oncology?” After all, no one will give a 100% guarantee that a person will not show this pathology.
There are families that are so afraid that their unborn baby will inherit cancer, and that they completely refuse to have children.
People who were able to overcome a serious illness in themselves, in most cases do not dare to plan pregnancy.
Cancer and children
Children are characterized by types of cancer that are not common in adults, and vice versa.
Scientists are sure that the gene component is the cause of cancer. After many studies, it was determined that in the vast majority of cases, pediatric oncological diseases begin to develop during the prenatal period. They are associated with gene mutations or genetic abnormalities. So far, scientists can not give a definite answer to the question of how genetic pathologies are manifested, however, research in this area has been ongoing for a very long time.
Mutation affects the formation of organs, and the formation of body tissues is disturbed. The high activity of childhood metabolism leads to the rapid development of tumors.
The most common cases in children are a hereditary predisposition to cancer of two types: nephroblastoma and retinoblastoma. Often, a tumor is accompanied by defects in various organs. Sometimes they are multiple.
Future parents can find out what is the likelihood that their child will inherit a cancer disease. Leading geneticists closely involved in the study of this disease have developed a cancer test, which will show the percentage probability of transmission of the disease.
The need for genetic counseling
So, is cancer inherited? Even one case of cancer in the family gives cause to worry about their own health and how it will be in future children. As preventive measures, a healthy lifestyle should be maintained, as well as regular examinations.
If cancers of the same type were found in the family not in one but in several people, an oncologist and a geneticist should be consulted. All family members are at risk. Timely measures can prevent the disease. Or regular examinations will detect cancer at an early stage.
Disease research
Some people seriously think about how the cancer is transmitted and whether they will become infected by communicating with the patient. This behavior is unreasonable, since oncology can not be caught sexually or by airborne droplets.
Common factors for the development of tumors are:
- Genetic predisposition.
- Carcinogens in certain substances.
- Viral infections.
- Stress and nervous tension.
Frequent hereditary neoplasms
Some families have a mutated gene, which leads to cases of disease with a certain type of oncology. The most common species:
- Breast cancer This type is the most common female cancer. The hereditary mutation of the genes DBK1 and DBK2 gives 95% of the fact that a woman will have this malignant process. A predisposition to cancer, that is, if direct relatives had such a disease, doubles the risk.
- Ovarian cancer Until recently, scientists were convinced that if the disease was diagnosed in elderly patients, it means that it was not transmitted at the gene level. Not so long ago, German scientists refuted this claim. It does not matter at what age the diagnosis of “malignant tumor” was made. Its presence means that the risk of developing a disease in direct relatives doubles.
- Cancer of the stomach and damage to the digestive system. 10% of all types of these diseases are familial. The impetus for the development of a tumor is inflammation of the gastric mucosa and the formation of an ulcer.
- Lungs' cancer. This type of malignant tumor is the most common. Smoking increases the chance of getting the disease, as tobacco smoke provokes a cellular mutation. Scientists from England were able to determine that this type of tumor also shows a high familial propensity. The impetus for the development of the disease is smoking the patient. If the disease is detected at an early stage, it can be cured. At the last stage, it is already an inoperable tumor.
- Prostate cancer This neoplasm is not considered inherited, but if a man has been diagnosed with this disease, the risk of predisposition in direct relatives becomes high.
- Colon cancer Most often, this neoplasm is independent. A genetic predisposition is noted in 30% of cases when intestinal polyposis is transmitted in a hereditary manner. It can be both benign and malignant tumors. At some point in their life, polyps transform and become cancerous.
- Thyroid cancer. If a person received radiation exposure in childhood, the development of this type of cancer is highly likely.
Substances leading to tumors
Specialists isolate a number of substances that cause genetic mutations in humans. Previously, one substance was already called tobacco smoke. Neoplasms can also develop due to inhalation of vapors of chemicals by the patient, in particular, asbestos. Air pollution increases the risk of getting a malignant tumor.
Highly active radiation leads to cell mutation and, as a consequence, to the development of cancer.
In modern society, many genetically modified products are produced. Their frequent use can lead to mutations in body cells and the formation of tumors.
Papilloma virus
This type of virus can lead to the development of a disease such as cervical cancer. Scientists have proven a direct connection between them. And already here, when asked about how cancer is transmitted, it can be confirmed with a small degree of certainty that it is also capable of being transmitted sexually. Papillomavirus infection is picked up in this way. You should not be afraid - the risk of developing the disease is very small, since almost every second person already has this virus.
If many types of cancer occur with a deterioration in overall health, then this is asymptomatic. The disease develops after a rapid and significant decrease in immunity. Scientists have developed a vaccine that can prevent this disease, but it is only allowed to administer it to those who have not started sexually active life.
Stress
Nervous stress can contribute to the formation of cancer. The tumor arises due to the strong suppression of all the protective systems of the body and the subsequent physiological mutations.
Oncological genetics
Scientists tirelessly study the types of cancer and ways to combat the disease. They are developing ways to identify mutated genes that lead to the development of melanoma, breast cancer, gastrointestinal tract and pancreas.
The Institute of Oncology is developing more and more tests that can identify a tendency to the disease and begin treatment. It is likely that in the future it will be possible to determine the risk of developing cancer by a routine blood test.
So far, there are many cases when a person learns about cancer, only when he already has an inoperable tumor. All doctors can do is to undergo chemotherapy to slow down the development of the disease and delay the death of the patient.
Finally
Cancer is a terrible disease, but not always a sentence. If the diagnosis is made at an early stage, and the patient undergoes a full course of treatment, the probability of a full recovery is high. Medicine does not stand still, scientists are developing new methods of early diagnosis of the disease.
How cancer is transmitted does not matter. A genetic predisposition to the disease does not mean that a person will certainly get sick with it. Each has cells that, under certain circumstances, become cancerous. A regular examination, a sensitive attitude to one's own health, the right way of life - and the disease will not arise.