Facts about Cancer

1 - What is cancer?

Cancer is a disorderly growth in the cells of the body's tissues; it does not fall under the laws that govern the growth of normal cells, and therefore it cannot be removed or destroyed. Nor does it ever cease growing, day after day, until at last it causes death.

2 - Is cancer passed on by contagion?

Since cancer is not produced by a germ, it is not one of the contagious diseases; no doctor or nurse is known to have caught this disease from a patient despite contact with him.

3 - Is cancer a disease of the blood?

No. The only respect in which the blood is connected with this disease is the process of carrying cancer cells from one organ to another in the patient's body; it may, however, lodge in the tissues that form the blood cells.

4 - How fast does cancer grow?

There is no fixed time for cancer's growth. It may grow in a matter of weeks, while in other cases it goes on for several years.

5 - How can one know whether any abnormal growth in the body is cancer?

A microscopic examination is made of the suspected spot, and the examination of the body is likewise made thorough; but recovery is rare once the signs of the disease have appeared.

6 - What causes cancer?

The basic cause is unknown, but several factors enter into its formation, the most prominent being irritations of the body under chemical and mechanical influences, and through friction and heat.

7 - What is the relation of food to cancer?

Vitamin B has an effect in certain cases, producing some improvement in the patient's condition; apart from that, there is no food or dietary formula that cures cancer.

8 - Is cancer of the stomach caused by irregular mealtimes?

No scientific proof has so far been found to support this claim; stomach cancer may strike people who keep regular hours for their meals, made up of the finest foods.

9 - Is cancer hereditary in man?

There may be hereditary possibilities for the formation of various kinds of cancer; but since the way in which these predispositions are inherited is obscure and complicated, the presence of cancer in one of the two spouses calls for inquiry into the origin of the disease and its causes — and do not think that this constitutes a danger to the children.

10 - Does cancer pass from one person to another by touching or kissing?

No. Cancer is not known ever to have been passed on by touch or by kiss.

11 - Does the state of mind affect cancer?

Nothing has been discovered to confirm this belief. Cancer is a disease of the body's cells, unaffected by the mental state, since it is a purely bodily change.

12 - How can we guard against cancer?

This can be done by avoiding the irritation of any organ of the body, cutting down exposure to sun and wind, preventing congestion of the breasts in women, repairing the teeth, moderation in smoking, and treating constipation — in short, we must not forget the use of the organs of the body.

13 - Can a patient with tuberculosis be stricken with cancer?
Yes. Neither tuberculosis nor any other disease prevents this malady from creeping into the cells of the body.

14 - How can cancer be brought under control?
By several means:
1 - Visit the doctor whenever you suspect any indication of the disease.
2 - Have a general examination every year; a woman who has reached thirty-five should have two examinations.
3 - Forestall the disease at its very start and treat it by operation.
4 - And finally, the spreading of general knowledge of the disease's manifestations, its causes, and the elementary methods of its treatment.

15 - What are the first signs of cancer?
There are seven indications that point to the appearance of the disease:
1 - Any sore that does not heal.
2 - A swelling, or the appearance of a lump, in the breast.
3 - Abnormal bleeding.
4 - A sudden change in a wart or mole.
5 - Difficulty in swallowing and digestion.
6 - A persistent cough and hoarseness of the voice.
7 - A change in the behavior of the bowels.

16 - What is the most effective treatment for cancer?
Despite the multiplying of treatments and drugs, surgery, X-rays, and radium remain the strongest weapons in medicine's hand for fighting this dread disease.

17 - Is smoking among the causes of cancer?
The connection of cancer with the lungs and the mouth is not certain; but smoking should be indulged in with moderation, for the sake of prevention.

18 - Does cancer attack married women and unmarried women alike?
Medical reports affirm that the rate of cancer among unmarried women at the age of forty is higher than among married women, and that it most often strikes the breasts in the maiden and the womb in the married woman. Doctors believe that nursing prevents cancer from creeping into the breasts, and injury to the womb is likewise prevented if the physician is skillful in delivery.

19 - How can cancer of the breast be prevented?
Do not bind your body in tight clothing; and every woman should have her chest examined by a specialist and take instructions in how to examine the breasts once each month, after the monthly period.

20 - What are the possibilities of reducing the death rate from cancer?
There are four ways:
1 - The doctor's complete attention to the sufferer, thoroughness in examining the affected organs, and working for their cure by the most effective means.
2 - Decisive treatment, and the doctor's sense of responsibility toward the patient.
3 - The discovery of all manner of useful modern treatments.
4 - Learning the causes of cancer through deep research in the medical laboratories.