Why not just let the Cancer Growth?

In some cases, this may be the right thing to do. As some people have cancers that grow slowly, exposing them to either surgery or chemotherapy may make them sick without doing much to improve their survival. older adults, in particular, are more prone to experience the side effects of therapy; if those side effects outweigh the potential benefit therapy or the potential harm of living with cancer, the proposed therapy may not be of benefit. This is where the notion of " quality of life' becomes important. Alternatively, a person may be ideologically opposed to therapy; for such an individual, letting the Cancer grow might be the right thing to do.

In other cases. letting the cancer grow may not be the right thing to do. Unfortunately, many cancer cells do not respect the boundaries of other organs or body structures. A growing cancer might press on another organ and prevent that organ from functioning normally. or it might actually invade an organ and impair that organ's function. Then, a situation may arise in which bleeding or an infection occurs.


WHY DOES HAVING CANCER MAKE A PERSON FEEL SICK?

Some types of cancer release chemicals that make a person feel ill. These chemicals , called cytokines, may cause fevers, chills, sweats, fatigue, anorexia. or even nausea and vomiting. These are the same chemicals that are released in to the bloodstream when a person has the flu, which explains why the symptoms of flu and of cancer often are similar. one of these cytokines, called tumer necrosis factor. or TNF, used to be called cachexin, because its release from cancer cells was associated with cachexia, or wasting. These symptoms are , in fact, the once that often bring a person with cancer to a doctor's attention in the first place. As a cancer continues to grow, these chemicals continue to be released. Trating the cancer should alleviate these symptoms.