Cancer

Overall, 66% of the genetic mutations that develop into cancer are caused by simple random errors occurring when cells replace themselves, according to a new study published in the journal Science.

Environmental factors contribute 29% of mutations, while the remaining 5% are inherited, say Cristian Tomasetti and Dr. Bert Vogelstein, both of Johns Hopkins University.

Biological therapies can help fight breast cancers caused by rare, inherited genetic errors like the BRCA one actress Angelina Jolie carries.

Now a new study by experts at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute suggests these targeted drugs may also work in many other women who do not have these risky genes.

The drugs could be effective in one in five breast cancers, say the researchers.

That's 20% of patients - far more than the 1 to 5% who develop the cancer alongside having faulty BRCA genes.

This results in half of all eligible lesbian and bisexual women never having had a smear test, they said.

The human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes most cervical cancers, can be transmitted through lesbian sex.

Cervical cancer charities say all women, no matter their orientation, should have regular cervical screening.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups say women regularly face barriers to accessing healthcare and can have poor experiences when they do.

Even so, there's the undeniable fact - it saves lives.

New research suggests as many as 2,000 women are saved every year in England as a result.

But, experts say it could be many, many more if all women aged 25-64 in the UK took the test when invited - which is normally every three years.

"Sometimes women feel a bit embarrassed or awkward about the whole thing," says Jess Kirby from Cancer Research UK.

If there is one message Loop lifestyle would like to stress, it would be to love and be loved.

As stated in the WCD factsheet, cancer affects everyone in a patient’s life in different ways.

Partners, families and friends can take steps to work together through the challenges of cancer and its treatment so that no one faces the disease alone.

There is no ‘right way’ for a cancer patient and their partner to cope with cancer, but there are actions that couples can take to support each other through this challenging time.

Have you ever wondered how a person develops cancer?

To start with, we know that cancer is a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.

But how does cancer form in a person?

To answer that question, one has to understand the genetics of cancer.

Firstly, it will make your read easier to know about human genes as explained by Cancer.Net:

This awareness is to explore how everyone – as a collective or as individuals – can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.

World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.

The day is a chance to reflect on what you can do, make a pledge and take action. Whatever you choose to do ‘We can. I can.’ make a difference to the fight against cancer. 

And while there are many talks on this, it is important to understand the basics of cancer.

Here are a few facts, according to the American Cancer Society:

What Is Cancer?

Cancer can start any place in the body. It starts when cells grow out of control and crowd out normal cells. This makes it hard for the body to work the way it should.

Cancer can be treated very well for many people. In fact, more people than ever before lead full lives after cancer treatment.

Cancer basics

Cancer is not just one disease!

Black women are dying from cervical cancer at a rate 77% higher than previously thought, and white women are dying at a rate 47% higher, according to a study published in the journal Cancer on Monday.

The study found that previous estimates of cervical cancer death rates didn't account for women who had their cervixes removed in hysterectomy procedures, which eliminates the risk of developing the cancer.

"Had I not seen that photo, I would have assumed that it was an indentation from the underwire of my bra," Chieze, 38, a nursing student at West Hills College in Lemoore, California, told CNN.

Within five days of noticing the indentation, she was told she likely had breast cancer. A month later, doctors told her it was stage IV; the cancer had metastasized outside the breast.

"I knew all about self exams," Chieze wrote on Facebook last week, "but a picture of what to look for keyed me into knowing I had a terminal disease."