What Is Cancer?

Cancer could be said to mean the collection of diseases that involves an abnormal growth of the cell(s) which are capable of rapidly spreading over or invading other parts of the body as quickly as they could. Also known as malignancy, cancer has over 100 types, among which are: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, others are colon cancer, uterine cancer, small bowel cancer, stomach cancer, urinary tract cancer among many others. Various institutions have however, been putting a lot of effort into cancer research, thanks to the unending supports by the government, individuals, and organizations who donate for cancer research.

Cancer - Detection

Cancer research has revealed that cancer has a very quick nature in manifesting and spreading its "wing", and it becomes a very difficult step to take while trying to tackle it after it has eaten up most part of the body. As a result of this, it is of great importance that proper care be taken and much attention is given to strange body symptoms before it gets out of hand. Talking of body symptoms, it is advised that any symptom to be so much concerned about as relating to cancer must be one confirmed with evidences. This is of the best interest of the patient as false claims and anxiety could result in another unprecedented sickness or malfunctioning of the body system. Cancer gives a form of warning- signs and symptoms to announce its advent or worse- its presence. The signs and symptoms will depend on where the cancer is, how serious it is, and how much it affects the organs or tissues. If a cancer has spread (metastasized), signs or symptoms may appear in different parts of the body. Meanwhile, some of the main signs and symptoms of cancer are incomprehensible weight loss, lump development in the breast or any part of the body, fever, nagging cough, fatigue, ache, change in bowel and bladder functions, white stains on the tongue or inside the mouth, lasting sores, strange bleeding, skin changes, indigestion, and other symptoms.

Cancer - Prevention

Having listed the various signs and symptoms of cancer and its possible threat to the body, isn't it noteworthy to give a brief of what causes this life-disturbing disease and how to move nowhere close to it? Cancer could develop more quickly due to the following factors:

• Smoking and the use of tobacco
• Consumption of red meat
• Inadequate or lack of exercise
• Viruses
• Family history of cancer
• Bigger or taller body size
• Women's reproductive factors (late or no childbearing, late menopause, early periods)
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Poverty (resulting in bad diet)
• Environmental pollution
• Excessive exposure to sun
• Medical procedures, even drugs
• Salt, bad or excessive food additives, and contaminants.

With the various self-inflicted and natural causes of cancer made evident above, it is of one's benefit that the following should be adhered to strictly:

• Desist from the intake of tobacco and all possible (direct and indirect) ways of inhaling its smoke.
• Desist from eating red meat, charbroiled foods, very fried foods, but increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains.
• Engage in regular sessions of exercise to keep your body as healthy and fit as possible. This would reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. This is also helpful for women as it works particularly against breast and reproductive cancers.
• Take in fewer calories that could make you add weight and burn the remaining calories by exercising regularly.
• Give yourself a laid down rule of taking little or no alcohol at all in a day. As opposed to exercising, the intake of alcohol could increase the risk of breast cancer in women and generally might lead to a case of mouth cancer, larynx cancer, oesophagus cancer, liver, and colon cancers.
• Stay clear of unnecessary or excessive ray of sunlight as they could increase the risk of skin cancer
• Avoid being exposed to industrial and environmental toxins like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), benzene, aromatic amines, and asbestos fibres.
• Always try as much as possible not to get infections that could enhance the advent of cancer, infections like hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the human papillomavirus, some of which are transmitted sexually or via contaminated sharp objects.
• Try out some low dosage of aspirin at intervals. Though aspirin has side effects like producing gastric bleeding and other negative effects, but on the good side, aspirin protects men especially from heart attacks, stroke, and most importantly, cancer.
• Take in enough vitamin D, it helps to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and colon cancer.

If these are well taken into consideration, it would be true that prevention is actually better than cure.

Cancer - Treatment

Once the right preventive measures are not taken as directed by cancer researchers, it becomes necessary to go for an outright treatment of cancer. At this stage, cancer is believed to have expanded that it was at its initial stage. The kinds of treatment recommended for a patient of cancer are either chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy or synthetic lethality. The specific treatment for cancer for any patient now depends on the location of the tumour in the body and how long the tumour has been in the body or how deep it has eaten in the body.

List of the Top 5 Cancer Research Institutions in Various Countries

Top Cancer Research Institutions in the United States

• Hospital of the University of PA – Abramson Cancer Center - https://cancer.pennmedicine.org/
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute - https://www.roswellpark.org/
• Johns Hopkins Hospital Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center - http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/
• University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center – https://www.mdanderson.org/
• USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center - http://cancer.keckmedicine.org/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in Canada

• The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation - www.thepmcf.ca
• British Columbia Cancer Agency - http://www.bccrc.ca/
• Cross Cancer Institute - http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=facility&rid=6122
• Tom Baker Cancer Centre - http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=facility&rid=10073
• Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance- http://www.breast.cancer.ca/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in the UK

• Cancer Research UK - www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/our-research-infrastructure/our-institutes
• University of Southampton - www.southampton.ac.uk/cruk
• Cancer Core Europe - www.cancercoreeurope.eu/members/cruk-cambridge-centre
• UCL Cancer Institute - www.ucl.ac.uk/cancer/research/centres-and-networks/cancer-research-uk-ucl-centre
• The institute of Cancer Research - www.icr.ac.uk/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in Germany

• University Hospital Charite - https://bookinghealth.com/university-hospital-charite-berlin
• German Cancer Research Center - http://www.dkfz.de/en/stammzellen-und-krebs/
• University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus - https://www.uniklinikum-dresden.de/en
• University Hospital Aachen - https://www.ukaachen.de/en/
• Rechts der Isar Hospital der TU München - http://www.mriu.de/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in Netherlands

• Netherlands Cancer Institute - http://www.nki.nl/
• Dutch Gynecological Oncology Group - http://www.dgog.nl/
• Dutch Cancer Society - http://www.kwf.nl/english/pages/default.aspx
• Erasmus MC Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center- http://www.erasmusmc.nl/
• IKNL Integraal Kankercentrum Nederland - http://www.ikcnet.nl/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in France

• Gustave Roussy Institute of Oncology, France - https://www.gustaveroussy.fr/en/content/institute
• Cent Pour Sang La Vie –http://www.centpoursanglavie.com/
• Institut Curie, Paris http://www.curie.fr/
• Centre François Baclesse, Caen - http://www.baclesse.fr/
• Centre Georges-François Leclerc, Dijon - http://www.cgfl.fr/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in Italy

• Associazione Italiana Contro le Leucemie-Linfomi e Mieloma - http://www.ail.it/
• Associazione Italiana di Oncologia Cervico Cefalica - http://www.aiocc.it/
• Italian Sarcoma Group - http://www.italiansarcomagroup.org/
• Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro Tumori - http://www.legatumori.it/
• European Institute of Oncology - http://www.ieo.it/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in Australia

• Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre - http://www.oliviaappeal.com/
• Peter Maccallum Health Centre - http://www.petermac.org/
• Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research - http://www.ccia.org.au/
• Lowy Cancer Research Centre - http://www.lowycancerresearchcentre.unsw.edu.au/
• Melanoma Institute Australia - http://www.melanoma.org.au/

Top Cancer Research Institutions in China

• Shanghai Cancer Institute - http://www.shsci.org/eindex.htm
• Asian Fund for Cancer Research - http://afcr.org.hk/en
• Hong Kong Cancer Institute - http://www.hkci.cuhk.edu.hk/
• Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences- http://www.cicams.ac.cn/cicams_en/web/index.aspx
• Beijing Cancer Hospital - http://www.bjcancer.org/_English/Service.html

We hope to provide this information soon.