What is Cancer? What Causes Cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.

Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things occur:

1. a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion
2. that cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis.

When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people in the world. Physicians and researchers who specialize in the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer are called oncologists.

What causes cancer?

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.

How are cataracts diagnosed?

Cataracts are relatively simple to diagnose by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist during a routine eye examination. It is important, when making the diagnosis of cataract, to also examine the entire eye for evidence of any other eye disease which may be compromising the vision. In addition to taking a medical and ocular history and visual acuity test, the ophthalmologist will check eye movements and pupillary responses, measure the pressure inside the eyes and examine the front and back of the eyes after the pupils have been dilated with drops.

What is the treatment for cataracts?

People with early cataract will find that changing their glasses, using sunglasses to decrease glare and having better lighting to read can significantly alleviate their symptoms. Magnifying lenses for close work and reading fine print may also be helpful.

Many cataracts are not bothersome, causing few symptoms. In that situation, no surgical treatment is necessary. However, the only true treatment for cataract is surgical removal of the cloudy lens. Surgery is suggested if the patient loses the ability to perform necessary activities of everyday life, such as driving, reading, or looking at computer or video screens, even with glasses, and there is the expectation that vision will improve as a result of the surgery.

Facts About Cataract

This information was developed by the National Eye Institute to help patients and their families search for general information about cataracts. An eye care professional who has examined the patient's eyes and is familiar with his or her medical history is the best person to answer specific questions.

Cataract Defined

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other.

What is the lens?

The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.

The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image you see will be blurred.

Organic apples make the perfect health food

Organic apples are one of the most perfect health foods you can eat. They contain a very filling and satisfying type of fiber, which helps with weight control. They also have several powerful nutrients that truly will "keep the doctor away" when consumed on a regular basis.

Pectin
The fiber that is found abundantly in apples is called pectin. This type of fiber is beneficial to your overall health in several ways. Pectin has demonstrated an ability to help lower cholesterol levels. It has also demonstrated a blood sugar stabilizing effect. It has been linked to a lower likelihood of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.

This also has the effect of reducing the appetite and making one feel fuller longer. Organic apples are an excellent snack for this reason. They register at about 50-80 calories depending on their size, so they have minimum impact on your daily caloric intake.

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery.  

When to consider cataract surgery
Talk with your eye doctor about whether surgery is right for you. Most eye doctors suggest considering cataract surgery when your cataracts begin to affect your quality of life or interfere with your ability to perform normal daily activities, such as reading or driving at night.

It's up to you and your doctor to decide when cataract surgery is right for you. For most people, there is no rush to remove cataracts because they usually don't harm the eye. Delaying the procedure won't make it more likely that you won't recover your vision if you eventually decide to have cataract surgery. Take time to consider the benefits and risks of cataract surgery with your doctor.

If you choose not to undergo cataract surgery for now, your eye doctor may recommend periodic follow-up exams to see if your cataracts are progressing. How often you'll see your eye doctor depends on your situation.

Building Bigger Calves

If you’re like a number of men out there, one muscle you likely struggle with is the calf muscle. Most men will state that one of their training and fitness goals is building bigger calves since they have put in a lot of work to develop powerful legs, but yet this lower leg muscle is still lagging behind.

In some instances, it’s genetics that destines you to have a hard time building bigger calves, and in other cases it’s a lack of proper training that keeps the calves from taking shape.

Whatever situation you’re in, taking the time to learn some new training techniques and then implementing these into your regime will be vital to seeing increases in this muscle tissue and building bigger calves.