Hippocrates, when he studied malignant formations, called the tumor a crab, since outwardly it very much resembled its carapace. Later, this term took root in the vocabulary of Roman doctors and as a result of translation was transformed into "cancer".
Cancer - what is it?
Cancer is a tumor that occurs as a result of the continuous division of an out-of-control cell. This process cannot be stopped. Cancer infects more and more healthy cells, which also begin to divide. Sick cells are carried by the bloodstream and lymph flow throughout the body. So there are metastases with new foci of malignant tumors. In fact, cancer behaves in the human body like a virus, extremely dangerous and very aggressive.
21st century plague - cancer
Today, we can say with full responsibility that cancer is the plague of the 21st century. Most likely, each of us in one way or another came across this terrible disease. Someone got sick friends, others have relatives or loved ones, while someone himself suffers from this terrible ailment. Most of us think that if a person is sick, then death from cancer is inevitable. But this is not entirely true, because a lot depends on the form of the disease and the stage of its development at the time of detection. The sooner the patient seeks help, the more chances to save him or extend his life as much as possible.
The situation is such that around 14 million people fall ill with cancer every year. Cancer deaths are in second place in number after death in diseases of the cardiovascular system. And, unfortunately, every day this number is growing. Why is this happening? And what determines the occurrence of this terrible disease? Let's figure it out.
Signs of imminent cancer death. Patient Feelings
Unfortunately, cancer is a disease that, before the death of a patient, most often causes him to experience rather painful sensations, both from treatment and from the disease itself. Manifestations may be different, depending on which organ is damaged initially or by subsequent metastases, but there is a separate series of signs of impending death. They are the same for all cancer patients.
- The most common signs of cancer death are persistent drowsiness and fatigue. A person no longer has the strength to stay awake. This is due to a slowing metabolism. Since the body is deficient in the nutrition it needs, it seems to hibernate.
- Loss of appetite. Cancer very often prevents patients from even drinking water. The body is so weak that it simply does not have enough energy to digest food.
- Heavy and hoarse breathing. This is a fairly common symptom of an approaching cancer death.
- Very strong weakness. Sometimes a dying patient does not even have enough strength to turn on his side.
- Complete or partial disorientation. Death is near. Organs begin to fail, the brain dies.
- The limbs are getting colder. Before the death of cancer, blood rushes to vital organs, leaving the periphery.
- The patient loses interest in the world around him and almost completely withdraws into himself.
- If there are metastases, and in the last stages of cancer , almost all patients have them, the patient begins to feel very severe bone pain.
- The appearance of venous spots warns of an imminent demise. Sometimes gangrene can even develop. Also, problems with hematopoietic function can lead to anemia or even a stroke.
- In people dying of cancer, very often paralysis of limbs occurs just before death.
- Vomiting, hallucinations and severe weight loss can be signs of imminent cancer death. But, quite possibly, they are side effects of aggressive treatment.
Lungs' cancer
This is the most common type of cancer. Death from lung cancer is perhaps the first among all deaths from cancer. The fact is that this disease is almost asymptomatic, and often it can be detected only at the last stages, when it is already too late and almost nothing can be done.
The patient experiences severe pain during breathing. And the closer the death, the more tangible these pains. Inability to breathe, every breath is given with difficulty. A debilitating cough and constant feeling of lack of air, headaches, dizziness, and even epileptic seizures are possible. It happens that the bones of the back and hips begin to hurt.
Cancer is treated mainly with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, as well as a combination of these three methods. There are many alternative types of treatment, but their effectiveness has not been proven.
Liver cancer
It is divided into primary and secondary types. The first is when a malignant neoplasm arises from the degenerated cells of the liver itself. It is extremely rare, only in 10% of 100 cases. But the so-called secondary type develops from cancer cells brought from the original tumor along with the bloodstream.
The liver is one of the organs most affected by metastases. The main cause of hepatoma is cirrhosis. Its main premise is alcohol abuse. Viral hepatitis B, diabetes, and the effect of various carcinogens on the liver also contribute to the development of primary liver cancer. Men are significantly more likely to develop hepatoma than women. In addition to a congenital sexual predisposition, this is affected by the use of drugs such as steroids to build muscle.
Death from liver cancer is always painful, cancer proceeds very quickly, and a person "burns out" literally before his eyes, before he can wait for a transplant, which is also possible only in the early stages of the disease. Pain begins in the right hypochondrium, weakness appears, appetite decreases, nausea and vomiting begin. The temperature rises, and the pain intensifies and becomes literally unbearable. Before dying from liver cancer, the patient is very tormented. Hepatoma patients are considered incurable by default.
Uterine cancer
This oncological disease, which occupies the fourth place in the frequency of occurrence among other types of cancer, is almost painless. Tangible pains begin only at stages 3-4, so very often uterine cancer is diagnosed in an extremely neglected form. The main symptoms are pain, spotting during the cycle and during intercourse, as well as during physical exertion. The very first signs of cancer at an early stage are intense mucous secretions with purulent inclusions and an unpleasant odor that cause itching and burning. Symptoms can be either temporary (periodic) or permanent.
More than six thousand women a year expect death from uterine cancer - this is 60% of cases. These are mainly women from 20 to 45 years old.
Mammary cancer
This cancer is found in women. The main reasons for the development of cancer in the mammary glands are various hormonal disorders that are associated with improper oral contraceptives, abortions, various inflammatory diseases of the ovaries and uterus, overweight, lack of vitamins and minerals with improper diet, and irregular sex life.
Death from breast cancer is a fairly rare occurrence, most often this outcome can be avoided by early detection of the tumor. Its symptoms are extremely pronounced: a strong increase in body temperature, general weakness, dizziness, muscle pain. All this is accompanied by an increase in one of the breasts by more than 2 times and possible purulent discharge. It is also easy to detect nodular painful formations in the chest, which are easily palpated. When treating a tumor, the loss of the affected breast is most often inevitable.
Last way
If a patient has cancer of 3-4 stages, then such a patient is not kept in the clinic, he is discharged home. Despite the huge number of different painkillers, death from cancer is a rather painful process. By this time, usually the body is already affected by numerous metastases, and new tumors begin to make themselves felt. It is good when the patient sleeps most of the time or is in a coma. Perhaps in this state he does not suffer from pain. Yes, in the cities special hospices have been created for such doomed, but not everyone can get there. It is only in our power to somehow alleviate the suffering of a person close to us at this last stage of a terrible and most often fatal disease.