Treating Cancer
If leukemia is treated early, it usually can be cured. In fact, many cancers can be cured if
treated early. Treatment of cancer often involves removing a tumor with surgery. This may
be followed by other types of treatments. These may include drugs and radiation, which kill
cancer cells.
The sooner cancer is treated, the greater the chances of a cure. This is why it is important
to know the warning signs of cancer. Having warning signs does not mean that you have
cancer. However, you should see a doctor to be sure.
Everyone should know the warning signs of cancer. Detecting and treating cancer early can
often lead to a cure.
Warning Signs of Cancer
- Change in bowel or bladder habits
- Sore that doesn’t heal
- Unusual bleeding or discharge
- Lump in the breast or elsewhere
- Chronic indigestion
- Difficulty swallowing
- Obvious changes in a wart or mole
- Persistent cough or hoarseness
(Source:http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/cancer/canc4280.html,Courtesy:Uni-
versity of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
Diabetes
Another noninfectious disease is diabetes. Diabetesis a disease in which the pancreas
cannot make enough insulin. From the Controlling the Body chapter, you know that insulin
is a hormone that helps cells take up sugar from the blood. Without enough insulin, the
blood contains too much sugar. This can damage blood vessels and other cells throughout
the body. The kidneys work hard to filter out and excrete some of the excess sugar. This
leads to frequent urination and excessive thirst.
Doctor Rosalyn Yalow is an American scientist that played a major role in our knowledge
of diabetes. She helped discover a way to measure tiny amounts of insulin in the blood.
She won a Nobel Prize for her discovery in 1977.There are two main type of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes
makes up about 5 to 10 percent of all cases of diabetes in the United States. Type 2 diabetes