1answer.
Ask question
Login Signup
Ask question
All categories
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Business
  • History
  • Health
  • Geography
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Computers and Technology
  • Arts
  • World Languages
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
  • SAT
  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Engineering
andreyandreev [35.5K]
3 years ago
12

How does cancer harm the host

Health
1 answer:
ra1l [238]3 years ago
6 0

Answer:

Many people have questions about how cancer can kill you. It’s something that most people worry about it at some point.

We know that talking about this can be difficult. You can save to read this information another time when you feel ready. And it’s ok if you don’t want to read this information at all.

Firstly, it's important to say that not all cancers cause death. Overall, half of the people (50%) diagnosed with cancer in England and Wales live for 10 years or more. Cancer survival is improving and has doubled in the last 40 years in the UK.

Cancer at an early stage doesn’t usually kill you. So a lot of effort is put into early diagnosis when treatment is likely to work best.

How cancer causes death depends on your cancer type and which parts of your body are affected. Some cancers start in or spread to a part of the body that does something essential for life.

Digestive system

The digestive system is also called the gastrointestinal (GI) system. It includes the:

food pipe (esophagus)

stomach

pancreas

liver

small and large bowel

A cancer that grows in the digestive system can block it, or partly block it. So food can't go through the gut and the nutrients and calories you need can't be absorbed.

You might be able to have surgery to remove the blockage. But if this is not possible, your medical team will do all they can to control your symptoms.

If you can't eat and drink, you are less able to cope with other problems, such as infection.

Lungs

A cancer might block off part of the lung. This part then collapses and can become infected.

When cancer blocks the lungs, there may eventually be not enough healthy lung tissue to allow you to absorb the oxygen you need.

If you have advanced cancer, you might not have the strength to fight off a lung infection, even with strong antibiotics. So the infection can eventually lead to death.

Bones

Cancer in the bones can cause calcium to be released into the bloodstream. This can affect the calcium balance of the body. Normally the body has systems to correct this, but when the imbalance becomes too great the systems don't work any more.

There is treatment to bring calcium levels back to normal, but these only work for a limited time. Then the calcium levels can continue to rise in the blood. High levels of calcium in the body can cause you to become unconscious and eventually die.  

Cancer cells can affect the bone marrow. The bone marrow if a spongy material that fills the bones. It produces very early cells called stem cells which then develop into new blood cells. Eventually, you might not have enough healthy bone marrow to make new:

red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body

white blood cells to flight infection

platelets to stop bleeding

Liver

The liver is the chemical factory of the body. It carries out many tasks and is very important in maintaining the balance of body chemicals. A cancer that has spread to the liver can upset this chemical balance.

It can be life threatening if this chemical balance can't be corrected.

Blood vessels

Cancers can grow into and damage blood vessels in a vital part of the body. This can cause bleeding. For example bleeding in the brain is a stroke, which can be fatal if the body can't control it.  

Treatment

Many treatments can control cancer for a long time, even if they can't cure it. But if a cancer continues to grow, then it can become too much for the body to cope with.Talking about dying can be very difficult and people often avoid the subject. Sharing your feelings can help everyone involved to cope better.

Dying is something most people worry about at some point. Talking about the way the cancer is affecting your body can help to lessen at least some of those worries.

What happens in the last days of life is different for everyone. Many people are relieved to find out that they, or their relative, are likely to become unconscious shortly before they die.

You might be interested in
How man elements factor are there ​
irina1246 [14]

Answer:

25

Explanation:

25 elements are known to be essential to life.

7 0
2 years ago
Ability to create time and space in a situation to avoid risk
Virty [35]

Answer:

A driver must acquire defensive driving skills that include: ... way to remain relatively safe is to remove or reduce as much risk as possible in your situation.

( my mother would tell me avoiding a risk is hard but if your smart and think about what is going on around you and analyze the problem, when you've figured it out then your on you way to stopping a problem that could cost something major).

Explanation:

I hope this works, send me feed back if this doesn't help you.

6 0
2 years ago
Explain why a person who spends most of the day on his/her feet is more likely to develop varicose veins.
GaryK [48]

Answer: It's because he/she is constantly subjecting their legs to gravity, which veins are fighting against to move blood back to the heart.

7 0
3 years ago
Which contraceptive methods are classified as hormonal birth control
Feliz [49]
All of them except condoms. Everything you take orally gives you hormones such as progesterone and estrogen to fool your body into thinking you’re pregnant so you won’t produce an egg that month. Other methods such as the ring and patch do the same, just not through direct ingestion.
7 0
3 years ago
Read 2 more answers
How many people are in a square while dancing a western square dance
Rufina [12.5K]
8 people in total. There should be 4 couples
7 0
3 years ago
Other questions:
  • Drag the tiles to the correct boxes to complete the pairs.
    15·1 answer
  • Which is the best measure for the amount of medicine in an eyedropper?
    7·2 answers
  • Which factors would negatively impact the body’s digestive system?
    14·2 answers
  • How does aerobic exercise help prevent cardiovascular diseases?
    7·1 answer
  • 1.   Private medical insurance in Canada 
    8·1 answer
  • Oils are part of healthy eating styles because they provide nutrients for the body, like fatty acids and vitamin E.
    6·1 answer
  • Dr. Okawa is interested in studying the effect that neurological trauma can have on short-term memory. Firstly, he collects deta
    9·1 answer
  • What is the least reliable source of health information?
    8·2 answers
  • Make me laff and i will give you Brainliest
    7·2 answers
  • During infancy, abnormal levels of hormones can cause children to behave.
    10·2 answers
Add answer
Login
Not registered? Fast signup
Signup
Login Signup
Ask question!