Find Cancer Specialists near you

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FAQs:

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.  Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and multiply (through a process called cell division) to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes this orderly process breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply when they shouldn’t. These cells may form tumors, which are lumps of tissue. Tumors can be cancerous or not cancerous (benign). 

Cancerous tumors spread into, or invade, nearby tissues and can travel to distant places in the body to form new tumors (a process called metastasis). Cancerous tumors may also be called malignant tumors. Many cancers form solid tumors, but cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not.

Benign tumors do not spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. When removed, benign tumors usually don’t grow back, whereas cancerous tumors sometimes do. Benign tumors can sometimes be quite large, however. Some can cause serious symptoms or be life-threatening, such as benign tumors in the brain.

How Do Cancer Cells Differ from Normal Cells?

Normally, cells follow instructions provided by genes. Genes set down rules for cells to follow, such as when to start and stop growing. Cancerous cells ignore the rules that normal cells follow:

1. Normal cells divide and multiply in a controlled manner. Cancerous cells multiply uncontrollably.

2. Normal cells are programmed to die (apoptosis). Cancerous cells ignore those directions.

3. Normal cells for solid organs stay put. All cancerous cells can move around.

4. Normal cells don’t grow as fast as cancerous cells.

What Causes Cancer?

Cancer is a genetic disorder. It happens when genes that manage cell activity mutate and create abnormal cells that divide and multiply, eventually disrupting how your body works. Medical researchers estimate 5% to 12% of all cancers are caused by inherited genetic mutations that you can’t control. More frequently, cancer happens as an acquired genetic mutation. Acquired genetic mutations happen throughout your life. Medical researchers have identified several risk factors that increase your chance of developing cancer.

How Does Cancer Start?

Cancer starts when a gene or several genes mutate and create cancerous cells. These cells create cancer clusters or tumors. Cancerous cells may break away from tumors, using your lymphatic system or bloodstream to travel to other areas of your body. (Healthcare providers call this metastasis.)

For example, a tumor in your breast may spread to your lungs, making it hard for you to breathe. In some types of blood cancer, abnormal cells in your bone marrow make abnormal blood cells that multiply uncontrollably. Eventually, the abnormal cells crowd out normal blood cells.

How Does Cancer Spread?

When cancer spreads, it’s called metastasis. In metastasis, cancer cells break away from where they first formed, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form new tumors in other parts of the body. Cancer can spread to almost anywhere in the body. But it commonly moves into your bones, liver, or lungs.

Does Cancer Hurt?

Many people with cancer do not have pain. This is because cancers don't have any nerves of their own. The pain comes from a tumor pressing on nerves nearby. Researchers estimate that around 30 out of 100 people with cancer (around 30%) have moderate to severe pain. Pain is more likely with advanced cancer. Advanced cancer means the cancer has spread or come back since it was first treated. Research shows that 55 out of 100 people with advanced cancer (55%) have pain. It is possible to relieve all pain to some extent with the right treatment. With good pain control, most people should be able to be free of pain when they are lying down or sitting. The best way of controlling pain depends on what's causing it. The first step is to tell your doctor or specialist nurse that you have pain.

How Common is Cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 2 men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) and 1 in 3 women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) will develop cancer. As of 2019, more than 16.9 million people in the U.S. were living with cancer. The most common cancers in the United States are:

1. Breast cancer: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer. It mostly affects women and people AFAB. However, about 1% of all breast cancer cases affect men and people AMAB.

2. Lung cancer: Lung cancer is the second most common cancer. There are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell cancer and small cell lung cancer.

3. Prostate cancer: This cancer affects 1 in 9 men and people AMAB.

4. Colorectal cancer: Colon cancer and rectal cancer affect different parts of your digestive system.

5. Blood cancers: Leukemia and lymphoma are the most common blood cancers.

Is Cancer Genetic?

Genetic factors can contribute to the development of cancer. A person’s genetic code tells their cells when to divide and expire. Changes in the genes can lead to faulty instructions, and cancer can result. Genes also influence the cells’ production of proteins, and proteins carry many of the instructions for cellular growth and division.

Some genes change proteins that would usually repair damaged cells. This can leadTrusted Source to a predisposition for cancer. If a parent has these genes, they may pass on the altered instructions to their offspring. A doctor may refer to this as an inherited gene mutation. These mutations may contribute to the development of up to 10% of cancer cases.

Some genetic mutations that increase the risk of developing cancer occur after birth. Healthcare professionals refer to these changes as “acquired gene mutations”. Possible causes include smoking and sun exposure. These genetic changes cause cancer more commonly than inherited gene mutations. Other changes that can result in cancer take place in the chemical signals that determine how the cells turn specific genes on and off. Doctors may call these “epigenetic changes”.

Is Cancer Contagious?

Cancer is NOT contagious. You cannot “catch” cancer from someone else. Close contact or things like sex, kissing, touching, sharing meals, or breathing the same air cannot spread cancer. Cancer cells from someone with cancer are not able to live in the body of another healthy person. The immune system finds and destroys foreign cells, including cancer cells from another person. Although cancer itself is not contagious, some germs can play a role in the development of certain types of cancer. This may lead some people to wrongly think that “cancer is catching.” Infections that have been linked to cancer include viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

How Does Cancer Kill You?

Cancer cells or tumors in organs or the bloodstream can disrupt organ function. They may destroy healthy cells in organs, block their nutrient or oxygen supply, and allow waste products to build up. If cancer becomes severe enough that it impairs or prevents vital organ function, it can result in death.

Does Nicotine Cause Cancer?

No. Nicotine is a common chemical compound found in tobacco plants, and its effect is to make tobacco addictive rather than to cause cancer directly. People who are addicted are more likely to continue to expose themselves to the carcinogens in smoked or smokeless tobacco.

Nicotine at doses found in products such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can gradually replace the need for nicotine in cigarette smokers while minimizing the exposure of users to carcinogens and other toxic substances in tobacco smoke. Medicinal nicotine is therefore a safer alternative to tobacco products. Nicotine replacement therapy (as gum and patch) has been on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines since 2009.

What are Carcinogens?

Carcinogens (pronounced “kahr-sin-o-jens”) are substances that may increase your risk of developing cancer. Experts have identified more than 100 carcinogens. Carcinogens may be physical, such as ultraviolet rays from the sun; chemical, like asbestos; or biological, such as infections caused by certain viruses. Simply having contact with a carcinogen doesn’t mean you’ll develop cancer. While you may not be able to avoid some carcinogens, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing cancer from carcinogen exposure.

Is Cancer a Chronic Disease?

According to most definitions, cancer is a chronic disease because it meets the requirements established by most health authorities: it is an ongoing condition that can recur, requires medical attention/treatment, and affects activities of daily living. Often, there is no cure.

Not all cancers can be categorized as chronic, but those that are ongoing and can be watched and treated do become classified as chronic. Cancers such as ovarian, chronic leukemias, some lymphomas, and even some cancers that have spread or come back like metastatic breast or prostate also become chronic cancers.

What is an Oncologist?

An oncologist is a healthcare provider who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer. Oncologists manage your cancer treatment throughout your illness. They’ll:

1. Help diagnose your cancer.

2. Identify treatment options and discuss each option’s benefits and side effects.

3. Oversee your treatment.

4. Manage your post-treatment care.

How Much Does Cancer Treatments Cost?

According to AARP The Magazine, the total cost of cancer treatment on average is $150,000. However, this number may be much greater or smaller depending on the patient’s cancer, treatments, cancer health insurance, and resources.

Unfortunately, there is no price tag on cancer. Patients can spend anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 annually on their treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, cancer patients paid $4 billion out of their own pockets for their treatment—but that does not indicate how many people paid or how much they paid individually.

Whether it’s paid for out of pocket, through insurance, or, most likely, through a combination of the two, cancer is usually expensive. That’s because it’s a complex disease that affects the body on a cellular level. An effective treatment that does not impact the surrounding cells requires equally complex treatments, like radiation, over long periods.

Studies have shown that, while cancer treatments are becoming increasingly effective, they are also becoming increasingly expensive. Of the 12 cancer drugs approved by the FDA in 2012, 11 cost more than $100,000 annually.

When Was Cancer Discovered?

Our oldest description of cancer (although the word cancer was not used) was discovered in Egypt and dates back to about 3000 BC. It’s called the Edwin Smith Papyrus and is a copy of part of an ancient Egyptian textbook on trauma surgery. It describes 8 cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast that were removed by cauterization with a tool called the fire drill. The writing says about the disease, “There is no treatment.”

The origin of the word cancer is credited to the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who is considered the “Father of Medicine.” Hippocrates used the terms carcinos and carcinoma to describe non-ulcer-forming and ulcer-forming tumors. In Greek, these words refer to a crab, most likely applied to the disease because the finger-like spreading projections from cancer called to mind the shape of a crab. The Roman physician, Celsus (25 BC - 50 AD), later translated the Greek term into cancer, the Latin word for crab. Galen (130-200 AD), another Greek physician, used the word oncos (Greek for swelling) to describe tumors. Although the crab analogy of Hippocrates and Celsus is still used to describe malignant tumors, Galen’s term is now used as a part of the name for cancer specialists – oncologists.

Top 10 Type of Cancers

Here are the most common cancers:

1. Skin cancer

Skin cancer is divided into the non-melanoma and melanoma categories. Non-melanoma (basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer) is the more common form with over 2,000,000 cases expected to be diagnosed in the country in 2012. Most of these forms of cancer are curable. Melanoma, on the other hand, is the more serious type of skin cancer. It affects approximately five percent of people diagnosed with skin cancer but is attributed to over 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths. In 2012, 76,250 new cases of melanoma were expected to be diagnosed.

2. Lung cancer

In 2012, 226,160 new cases of lung cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. Lung cancer accounts for about 28 percent of all cancer deaths. An estimated 160,340 deaths were expected to occur from lung cancer in 2012. The 5-year survival rate for all stages of lung cancer combined is just 16 percent. However, for cases detected when the disease is still localized, that number is 53 percent. Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for lung cancer.

3. Prostate cancer

It’s estimated that 1 in 6 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. It’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men (excluding skin cancer) and the second most common cause of death. Approximately 241,740 new cases were diagnosed in 2012 with an estimated 28,170 men expected to die from the disease in the year. PSA screenings and digital rectal exams (DRE) can help with early detection.

4. Breast cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to occur during 2012 in the U.S. Excluding skin cancer, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women. Breast cancer ranks second as a cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer).

5. Colorectal cancer

An estimated 103,170 new cases of colon and 40,290 cases of rectal cancer were expected to occur in 2012. Colorectal cancer doesn’t discriminate — it’s the third most common cancer in both men and women. Colorectal cancer was expected to account for nine percent of all cancer deaths in 2012.

6. Kidney (renal) cancer

The American Cancer Society estimated 64,770 new cases of kidney (renal) cancer in 2012 with 13,570 deaths from this disease. Tobacco is a strong risk factor for kidney cancer, as well as obesity and hypertension.

7. Bladder cancer

Blood in the urine is a common symptom of urinary bladder cancer. An estimated 73,510 new cases of this cancer were expected in 2012. With all stages of bladder cancer combined, the five-year relative survival rate is 80 percent. Surgery (alone or in conjunction with other treatments) is used in 90 percent of cases.

8. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

As you may know, one of the common symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is swollen lymph nodes. About 30 different kinds of NHL exist. It was estimated that 70,130 new cases of this type of cancer would be diagnosed in 2012.

9. Thyroid cancer

Three out of four cases of thyroid cancer occur in women. Perhaps surprisingly, it is the fastest-increasing cancer in both men and women. A lump in the neck is the most common symptom of thyroid cancer. An estimated 56,460 new cases of thyroid cancer were expected in 2012 in the U.S., as well as 1,780 deaths from the disease.

10. Endometrial cancer

Cancer of the uterine corpus usually occurs in the endometrium (uterus lining). Abnormal bleeding is often an early sign of this type of cancer. In 2012, the American Cancer Society estimated 47,130 new cases of uterine corpus cancer. Treatment can include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and/or hormonal methods, depending on the stage of the cancer.

Other Common Cancers

Also called exocrine cancer, pancreatic cancer often develops without early symptoms. The survival rates for all stages combined are 25 percent for one year and 6 percent for five years. Approximately 43,920 new cases were expected in 2012 along with an estimated 37,390 deaths. Leukemia is also a fairly common cancer in the U.S. with an estimated 47,150 new cases in 2012.

Common Types of Carcinogens

Some common carcinogens include:

1. Beverages containing alcohol. The NTP lists alcohol as a known carcinogen. Studies show the more alcohol you consume, the higher your chance of developing several different kinds of cancer, including head and neck cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer.

2. Tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and second-hand smoke. Tobacco use is the leading cause of cancer in the United States.

3. Ultraviolet rays from the sun or radiation therapy may cause skin cancer.

4. Radon. This is a colorless, odorless gas. You may be exposed to radon when you’re inside buildings like businesses, schools, or even your own home. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

5. Asbestos. Asbestos once was a common form of insulation. You may be exposed to asbestos if you spend time in buildings constructed before 1989 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos. Asbestos is linked to malignant (cancerous) mesothelioma, lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, and ovarian cancer.

6. Formaldehyde. Studies suggest people exposed to high levels of formaldehyde in the workplace have an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia and rare cancers in their nasal cavities and sinuses.

7. Processed meat. Meat that’s been transformed by salting, curing or smoking is linked to colorectal cancer.

Symptoms of Cancer

Signs and symptoms caused by cancer will vary depending on what part of the body is affected. Some general signs and symptoms associated with, but not specific to, cancer, include:

- Fatigue

- Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin

- Weight changes, including unintended loss or gain

- Skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening, or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, or - - changes to existing moles

- Changes in bowel or bladder habits

- Persistent cough or trouble breathing

- Difficulty swallowing

- Hoarseness

- Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating

- Persistent, unexplained muscle or joint pain

- Persistent, unexplained fevers or night sweats

- Unexplained bleeding or bruising

Cancer Risk Factors

Some cancers, particularly in adults, have been associated with repetitive exposures or risk factors. A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. A risk factor does not necessarily cause the disease, but it may make the body less resistant to it. The following risk factors and mechanisms have been proposed as contributing to cancer:

1. Lifestyle factors. Smoking, a high-fat diet, and working with toxic chemicals are examples of lifestyle choices that may be risk factors for some adult cancers. Most children with cancer, however, are too young to have been exposed to these lifestyle factors for an extended time.

2. Family history, inheritance, and genetics may play an important role in some childhood cancers. Cancer of varying forms can be present more than once in a family. It is unknown in these circumstances if the disease is caused by a genetic mutation, exposure to chemicals near a family's residence, a combination of these factors, or simply coincidence.

3. Some genetic disorders. For example, Wiskott-Aldrich and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are known to alter the immune system. The immune system is a complex system that functions to protect our bodies from infection and disease. The bone marrow produces cells that later mature and function as part of the immune system. One theory suggests that the cells in the bone marrow, the stem cells, become damaged or defective, so when they reproduce to make more cells, they make abnormal cells or cancer cells. The cause of the defect in the stem cells could be related to an inherited genetic defect or exposure to a virus or toxin.

4. Exposures to certain viruses. Epstein-Barr virus and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, have been linked to an increased risk of developing certain childhood cancers, such as Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Possibly, the virus alters a cell in some way. That cell then reproduces an altered cell and, eventually, these alterations become a cancer cell that reproduces more cancer cells.

5. Environmental exposures. Pesticides, fertilizers, and power lines have been researched for a direct link to childhood cancers. There has been evidence of cancer occurring among nonrelated children in certain neighborhoods and/or cities. Whether prenatal or infant exposure to these agents causes cancer, or whether it is a coincidence, is unknown.

6. Some forms of high-dose chemotherapy and radiation. In some cases, children who have been exposed to these agents may develop a second malignancy later in life. These strong anticancer agents can alter cells and/or the immune system. A second malignancy is a cancer that appears as a result of treatment of a different cancer.

Stages of Cancer

Most cancers are assigned one of four stages, ranging from 1 to 4, with the lowest stage describing early and small tumors and the higher stages categorizing cancers that have progressed and spread. Doctors may use Roman numerals for each stage instead of numbers, but they mean the same thing. Stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be written as I, II, III, and IV.

Stage 1 or early-stage or localized cancer: The cancer has not infiltrated deeply into nearby tissue, nor has it spread to lymph nodes or locations away from the primary tumor.

Stage 2 or early locally advanced cancer: Tumor cells have spread deeper into neighboring tissue, but not to distant sites in the body.

Stage 3 or advanced-stage or locally advanced cancer: The cancer has grown more deeply into neighboring tissue and spread to lymph nodes but hasn’t spread to distant sites in the body.

Stage 4 or metastatic or advanced cancer: Cancer cells have spread beyond nearby tissue and into lymph nodes and parts of the body, including organs, potentially far from the original site.

Different Cancer Treatments

Healthcare providers may use several different treatments, sometimes combining treatments based on your situation. Common cancer treatments include:

1. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is one of the most common cancer treatments. It uses powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells. You may receive chemotherapy in pill form or intravenously (through a needle into a vein). In some cases, providers may be able to direct chemotherapy to the specific area affected.

2. Radiation therapy: This treatment kills cancer cells with high dosages of radiation. Your healthcare provider may combine radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

3. Surgery: Cancerous tumors that haven’t spread may be removed with surgery. Your healthcare provider may recommend therapy. This treatment combines surgery with chemotherapy or radiation to shrink a tumor before surgery or to kill cancer cells that may remain after surgery.

4. Hormone therapy: Sometimes, providers prescribe hormones that block other cancer-causing hormones. For example, men and people AMAB who have prostate cancer might receive hormones to keep testosterone (which contributes to prostate cancer) lower than usual.

5. Biological response modifier therapy: This treatment stimulates your immune system and helps it perform more effectively. It does this by changing your body’s natural processes.

6. Immunotherapy for cancer: Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that engages your immune system to fight the disease. The treatment may be called biological therapy.

7. Targeted cancer therapy: Targeted therapy is a cancer treatment that targets the genetic changes or mutations that turn healthy cells into cancer cells.

8. Bone marrow transplant: Also called stem cell transplantation, this treatment replaces damaged stem cells with healthy ones. Autologous transplantation uses your supply of healthy stem cells. Allogeneic transplantation uses stem cells donated by another person.

How to Prevent Cancer

You can reduce your risk by changing some of your lifestyle choices:

1. If you smoke or use tobacco, try to stop. Ask a healthcare provider about smoking cessation programs that can help you quit tobacco.

2. Follow a diet plan that’s healthy for you. If you want help managing your weight, ask a healthcare provider about nutritional guidance and weight management programs.

3. Add exercise to your daily routine. Exercise may boost your immune system so it provides more protection against cancer.

4. Avoid toxins, including asbestos, radon, and pesticides.

5. Protect yourself against sun damage.

6. Have regular cancer screenings.

What to Look for in a Cancer Specialist

1. Experience. A cancer specialist should have a lot of experience treating the specific type of cancer that you have. Ask how many cases your doctor has treated over their career and the past year. How many is enough? There’s no easy answer. But you should have the feeling that your doctor is treating people like you regularly.

2. Good training. Those framed degrees on a cancer specialist’s wall aren’t just for decoration, says Terri Ades, DNP, FNP-BC, AOCN, director of cancer information at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. Look at them closely. Where did your doctor train? Ask if they have other special qualifications or areas of interest. Ask if they have published any relevant journal articles on cancer treatment.

3. Board certification. Board-certified doctors are trained in a specific area of medicine and must pass an exam testing their knowledge and skill. So if your doctor is board-certified -- in medical oncology or surgery, for instance -- you can be confident that they are highly qualified in that field. That said, board certification is not available for every subtype of cancer treatment. So not being board certified is not necessarily a bad sign.

4. Openness to your questions. This is one of the most important things to look for in a cancer specialist. You need to feel like your doctor is listening to you and answering your questions. Also, make sure your doctor will be available to you when you need to talk to them -- even after you leave the office.

How to Find a Cancer Doctor Near Me

Cancer changes your life and the lives of those around you. Finding the right cancer doctor (called an oncologist) and treatment facility is an important step to getting the treatment and support you need.

Doctors specialize in different types of cancer and treatment methods. You need to find a doctor with experience in treating your type of cancer. You also need to feel good about the doctor you choose. You’ll be working with this person closely as you make decisions about your treatment.

Your primary care doctor can suggest cancer specialists. Or, you may be able to get a recommendation from a friend or family member. Also, your local hospital should be able to provide you with a list of specialists who practice there.

You can check with your local or state medical society, which may maintain a list of doctors in each specialty of cancer care. A nearby medical school may be able to suggest cancer specialists as well.

Sources:

NIH

Cleveland Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Medical News Today

Standford Healthcare

ACS

IARC

City of Hope

FCPP

Very Well Health

Cancer Research UK

News in Health

WebMD

Treat Cancer