What is Cancer?
Cancer is a term used to describe a disease of the body's cells where cells divide abnormally, without control and are then able to invade other tissues via the blood or lymph systems. Cancer is not a single disease with a single cause and a single type of treatment. There are more than two hundred types of cancer which are generally named after the organ, or type of cell from which the tumour originates - For example, a primary cancer that starts in the breast is called breast cancer.
The Cancer Journey
The cancer journey is an individual's experience of cancer. It may include screening, detection, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, 'living with cancer' or palliative care. The cancer journey does not look the same for everybody, even if they have the same type of cancer. Depending on the stage of cancer and other underlying conditions or issues, the symptoms and treatment may be quite different. Different people may also react differently to various cancer treatments.
Treatment Information
Cancer treatments vary depending on the type and stage of cancer. The following table describes the most common forms of treatment and their possible side effects, although these can be different for each patient. Some patients may go through primary treatment such as surgery and radiation followed by further treatment afterwards to decrease the chances that the cancer may recur. This is known as adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or hormone therapy.
Prevention & early detection
Prevention campaigns and strategies aim to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer by promoting a healthy lifestyle. Examples of preventive campaigns include "I'm smarter than smoking", "Slip, Slop, Slap" and the "Go for 2&5" fruit and vegetable campaign. The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) program is a Commonwealth government funded program which started in July 2007 and provides a free cervical cancer vaccine to young women between 12-26 years of age. Another strategy is to promote awareness of risk factors for the development of cancer, for example, through TV ads that highlight the risk of developing mouth cancer from smoking.
