Carcinoma Cancer
The different types of carcinoma cancer, diagnosis, symptoms, complications, and treatments will be discussed in this essay.
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Essay
“Carcinoma cancer is a group of cancers that begins in the skin tissue of the tissue that lines the internal organs”
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide yet not many people understand what it is. This essay will explore the different types of carcinoma cancer and cancer treatments. Carcinoma cancer is a classification given for the group of cancers originating from epithelial cells. Carcinoma cancer will be discussed in specific as they account for around 80 to 90% of all cancer cases. Cancer can be defined as a disease which causes some cells to grow out of proportion and spread to other parts of the body. To better understand this, normal human cells will grow and multiple with cell division. However, it can happen that this process breaks down, leading to abnormal and damaged cells to also grow and multiply. The problem with these damaged cells is that they can form lumps of tissues called tumors. Tumors are not always deleterious and therefore malignant, they can sometimes be benign (National cancer institute).
Cancer is defined as a genetic disease as it is caused by changes done to the genes. There are three ways the genes are changed, through errors during cell division, through damage done to the DNA due to harmful substances, and through inherited genes from parents. In addition to this, there are certain genes or genetic changes that contribute to cancer. One of those is Proto-Oncogenes which are healthy genes in the cell that make proteins for cell growth and division. If a mutation occurs in a proto-oncogene, it will turn into a defect gene called an oncogene. The oncogene allows cells to grow and survive when they shouldn’t (Goodwin, Meredith). Another type of healthy gene is a tumor suppressor gene. This function of this gene is to slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes and they are in control of apoptosis which is a process that tells cells when to die. If it is altered in a certain way the cells will begin to divide uncontrollably and grow out of control, leading to cancer. The third and final type is the DNA repair genes. Their function when they are healthy is to fix damaged DNA. However, if there is an error in this gene then the DNA does get corrected which leads to mutations such as chromosome changes, hence leading to cancerous cells.
Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer, it usually starts in the epidermis tissue or the tissue lining the organs. There are various forms or stages of this cancer. Carcinoma in Situ is the name given for the early stage of carcinoma cancer when it has not spread yet. Invasive Carcinoma is when the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues only while Metastatic Carcinoma is when it has spread not only to tissues but to organs through the body (Markman Maurie).
Carcinoma can be separated into different types of cancer. For instance, Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. This cancer starts at the bottom of the epidermis skin layer and it usually does not metastasize. The second most common type of skin cancer is Squamous Cell Carcinoma. This cancer develops from flat cells in the epidermis called Squamous cells. This skin cancer is more likely to spread and to invade fatty tissues. This type of carcinoma cancer is Renal Cell Cancer which is a type of kidney cancer that developed in the tubules. Tubules are very small tubes in the kidney that are used to return nutrients and fluids that were filtered from the blood. Renal Cell Carcinoma sometimes grows into masses which causes obstructions. Lastly, Ductal Carcinoma in Situ is the name given to the most common type of breast cancer. As it is ‘in Situ’ that explains that the cancer is still in the earliest form of breast cancer. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma per contra is the type of breast cancer that has spread to surrounding tissues. In both cases, this type of carcinoma is when the cancerous cells can be found lining the milk ducts of the breasts.
The causes of carcinoma vary from type to type. Both Basal and Squamous cancer are usually caused by UV radiation. Although they can also be caused by altered TP53 tumor suppressor genes, PTCH1 or PTCH2 genes or even a genetic condition named Xeroderma Pigmentosum. Renal cancer on the other hand is often caused by kidney failures or kidneys that are attached together at the bottom (horseshoe kidneys). It can also be caused by kidney diseases such as Von Hippel-Lindau Disease and adult Polycystic Kidney Disease. Moreover, Ductal Carcinoma is often caused by proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes which were discussed earlier. Breast cancer can also be inherited through genes like BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, ATM and CHEK2.
The diagnosis of cancers depends on the type, area and stages the cancer is in. To diagnose Basal or Squamous Cell Carcinoma MRI’s or CT scans can be taken of the area. As they are skin cancers a dermoscopy is often done first where the doctor takes a sort of magnifying lens to inspect the skin. A shave biopsy can also be done, among other tests, where the top layers of the skin are shaved and inspected. CT scans are also used to diagnose Renal Cell Carcinoma except a contrast dye is also added to be able to see the tumor. Urine tests are also done for kidney cancer as there is a 50% chance that blood will be found in the urine if the cancer is present. A third type of test done for this type of cancer is an ultrasound imaging test. With the ultrasound doctors are able to determine whether the cancer is benign or malignant. There are specific apparatus used to diagnose breast cancer. For example a mammogram is used to see lumps in the breasts, somewhat like a detailed x-ray. In addition to this, sound waves can be used to create pictures inside the breast. This procedure is called a breast ultrasound.
After understanding how cancer works and the different types of carcinoma cancer, it is important to know the different options of cancer treatment. Surgeries are often used when the cancer has not yet spread throughout the whole body. For Squamous Cell Carcinoma surgeries such as mohs surgery is used to remove the entire tumor with an extra bit of surrounding healthy tissue as well. The surgeon then color codes and examines the tissue for cancerous cells to determine whether it is all good. This surgery is the most popular for Squamous Cell Carcinoma as 97% of the time, first time tumors are treated (Hale, Elizabeth). Mohs surgery is also the best type of surgery for Basal Cell Carcinoma. A similar procedure is done for Ductal Carcinoma except it is called breast-conserving surgery. Sometimes the lymph nodes also have to be removed as this is where the cancerous cells spread first. The second type of surgery for when the cancer is more invasive is a mastectomy. A mastectomy is the removal of the entire breasts which is a more aggressive surgery hence why some women may opt to go for the breast-conserving surgery (American Cancer Society).
Surgery is often followed by chemotherapy or sometimes radiotherapy is also used. Chemotherapy is a type of treatment where drugs are inserted either through an IV, a pill or an injection and then flow through the bloodstream to kill all the cancerous cells in the body. As it is not restricted to a specific area it is called ‘systemic’. Contrarily, radiotherapy uses high dose radiation to kill the cancer cells in a specific area. Radiotherapy can be given using a machine or a radiation device can be placed inside the body near the tumors (brachytherapy). The side effects for both treatments include hair loss, nausea, diarrhea, tiredness, low red blood cell count (anemia), and skin changes like irritated or peeling skin. Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy cannot be compared or evaluated against each other as the both are necessary for different types of cancers at different stages as well (Frysh, Paul).
In summary, carcinoma cancer is a group of cancers that begins in the skin tissue of the tissue that lines the internal organs. There are multiple types of carcinoma cancer such as squamous and basal which are both skin cancers, renal which is a kidney cancer, and Ductal which is a breast cancer. All of these cancers can be diagnosed using MRI’s, CT scans, or other procedures and can then be treated using surgeries, chemo therapies or radiotherapies.
Bibliography
"What Is Cancer?". National Cancer Institute, 2021, https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer.
Markman, Maurie. "What Is Carcinoma?". Cancer Treatment Centers Of America, 2022, https://www.cancercenter.com/carcinoma.
Goodwin, Meredith. "Proto-Oncogenes Explained". Healthline, 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/proto-oncogene.
Hale, Elizabeth, and William Hanke. "Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treatment". The Skin Cancer Foundation, 2022, https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/squamous-cell-carcinoma/scc-treatment-options/.
"Treatment Of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)". Cancer.Org, 2021, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/treatment/treatment-of-breast-cancer-by-stage/treatment-of-ductal-carcinoma-in-situ-dcis.html.
Frysh, Paul. "What's The Difference Between Chemotherapy And Radiation?". Webmd, 2020, https://www.webmd.com/cancer/cancer-chemotherapy-radiation-differences.
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