Achi news desk-
The Princess of Wales released a moving video message on March 22 to address speculation about her health. In it, the future queen revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer following tests carried out after she underwent major abdominal surgery at a London clinic in January.
Catherine explained that she was having “preventative chemotherapy” – but emphasized that her operation had been successful, and that she was “healthy” and “getting stronger every day”.
The message was the second announcement of the royal family’s cancer diagnosis in recent weeks. On February 5, Buckingham Palace issued a statement that King Charles III had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer, unrelated to the treatment he had been receiving for an enlarged prostate.
The statement said he had started “regular treatments”. The king suspended all public-facing duties during his treatment, but is said to have continued his “constitutional role as head of state, including completing paperwork and holding private meetings”.
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. One in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime – so the condition will affect almost every family. However, many cancers can be cured if, as appears to be the case with the king, the condition is detected early and treated effectively.
What is cancer?
Our bodies are made up of more than 100 billion cells, and cancer usually starts with changes in a small group of cells – or even a single cell.
We have different types of cells depending on where in the body they are and the function of the cell. The size, shape and function of each of these cells is normally tightly controlled by genes – groups of codes stored in our DNA – that instruct cells how to grow and divide.
However, changes (mutations) to DNA can change the way cells grow and multiply – often forming a lump, or solid tumour. Cancers can also develop in blood cells, such as white blood cell cancer known as leukaemia. This type of cancer does not form solid tumors; instead, the cancer accumulates in the blood or sometimes the marrow in the bone marrow, where blood cells are produced.
In total, there are more than 200 types of cancer, but they all start with mutations in the DNA that is in every cell.
What exactly are mutations?
Think of your DNA as a big recipe book, and your genes as individual recipes for making different dishes. Mutations or missing words from this recipe are mutations that can mean that key ingredients are not added to the mix.
Regardless of the type of cancer or the cells it develops from, mutations in our genes can mean that a cell no longer understands its instructions.
These mutations can occur randomly during division, but can also be the result of lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, and inactivity.
Research has found that for a normal cell to turn into a cancerous cell, any different mutation between one and ten is usually required.
How is cancer treated?
Treatment options for cancer depend on a variety of factors, including where your cancer is, how big it is, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. The main treatments for cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to target and kill rapidly dividing cells in our bodies. This approach is effective in targeting fast-growing cells in various cancers – but it also has negative side effects. It also targets healthy cells that divide rapidly, such as hair and the cells that line our digestive system. This can lead to common side effects such as hair loss, nausea and diarrhoea.
Chemotherapy can be used preventively – as in the case of the princess – and therapeutically.
Preventive chemotherapy, also known as adjuvant chemotherapy, is given after surgery or other primary treatments to eliminate any remaining cancer cells in the body. Its aim is to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back (known as recurrence).
Therapeutic chemotherapy is used as a treatment option for cancer that has spread or is well established, such as advanced stage cancers.
Surgery involves the physical removal of cancerous tissue as well as nearby lymph nodes – small glands that act as filters in your body through which cancers can spread – to remove the tumour. Surgery is often used to remove local cancers that have not spread throughout the body.
Radiotherapy uses high-energy radiation rays that can target specific areas where tumor cells are located to destroy or shrink the tumor. Radiotherapy can be used externally or internally.
Chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy are often combined in cancer treatment to improve patient outcomes.
Thanks to advances in cancer research over the last 50 years, survival rates have improved greatly – although the rate of improvement has slowed recently. Surviving cancer depends on various factors such as age – people under 40 have a greater chance of survival – general health and fitness, as well as family history.
What should you do?
Certain changes in your body or warning symptoms could indicate the presence of cancer. These include, but are not limited to:
- Unexplained weight loss;
- Fatigue that does not improve with rest;
- Changes in bowel or bladder habits;
- Persistent coughing or coughing up blood;
- Difficulty swallowing;
- Persistent pain;
- Notice lumps, such as in breasts or testicles.
The symptoms may not necessarily be the result of cancer. But it is important to be checked by a doctor if you notice anything out of the ordinary or have persistent symptoms that do not improve. Early detection and treatment can significantly improve outcomes for many types of cancer.
