Why does cancer kill

Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in the world. It can affect almost every organ in our body. Every type of cancer has its own symptoms, causes and treatment methodologies. Abnormal, uncontrolled growth of cells leading to malignant tumor, can invade neighboring tissues and cells, thus spreading the disease to various parts of the body. This spread of the disease is known as metastasis. However, it is important to know that not all cancers can kill.

With clinical advancement, research and innovation in the field of cancer research, it is possible to extend and even cure certain types of cancers. 50 percent of people diagnosed with cancers live up to more than six years, while there are other forms of cancers whose survival rate is as high as 90 percent. Also if the disease is treated at an early stage, there is no chance of the disease growing into terminal illness.

Let us find out the reason as to why cancer can cause death. It depends actually on the type of cancer and the part of the body that is affected by the disease. For instance, if it is lung cancer, there is not much healthy lung tissue that can absorb oxygen into the body. If a person is in the last few stages of lung cancer, even strong antibiotics will not be able to help, because a significant area of the lung is blocked and infected.

Another example is liver cancer. The liver is the chemical processor of the body; it carries out many functions including maintaining the equilibrium of body chemicals in the body. But if there is no more health liver tissue, the liver cannot function properly and the body’s chemical balance is adversely affected leading to loss of life.

If the cancer cells affect the bone marrow, there is a dearth of healthy bone marrow to produce red blood cells, leading to anemia. There is lack of oxygen absorption in the body and this also reduces immunity causing drop in white blood corpuscles. The white blood cells fight a losing battle against increasing bacteria and viruses in the body. The consolation, when it comes to terminal forms of cancer is that in most forms of cancer, a person becomes unconscious before dying. At best, what the doctor can do in the last stages of cancer is give good pain control that can reduce the pain considerably before death.