Cancer and Hair Loss Part I

Cancer and Hair Loss (Part I)

by Felicia Wills

“There are studies that show that for many women, losing their hair is worse than losing a breast.  That's because you can conceal the loss of a breast, but hair loss is so obvious and apparent.”          

Marisa Weiss M.D., President and Founder, Breast Radiation Oncologist, Philadelphia, PA 

 Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and affects one in eight women during their lives, but thanks to improvements in treatment and early detection, millions of women are surviving breast cancer today.

For many people, hair loss is a distressing aspect of cancer treatment. Losing our hair can change our sense of identify – that is, how we see ourselves and how we relate to others which, in turn, can affect our quality of life.

What Is Cancer?

Cancer is a group of diseases in which abnormal body cells in one part of the body start to grow out of control.

Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. Cancer cells grow and divide without stopping. As a result, they live longer than normal cells and they keep forming new abnormal cells. 

These cancer cells may join together to create a lump, mass, or tumor. Some cancers, such as leukemia, start in the blood and blood-forming organs and do not form tumors. Instead, these cancer cells circulate through other tissues where they grow.

Eventually, this uncontrolled growth damages normal cells and interferes with normal body functions. Treatments for cancer focus on stopping this growth by killing cancer cells while causing as little damage as possible to surrounding normal cells.

The Different Types of Cancer

Cancers are categorized according to their primary site, (the part of the body where the cancer started), and by the type of tissue in which the cancer began. They are then classified in stages I, II, III, or IV, with stage I being early stage and IV being advanced. The stage impacts treatment and the prognosis for recovery.  

There are four major types:

Carcinomas start in the internal or external lining of the body. They are the most common type of cancer, accounting for about 80 to 90 percent of all cancer cases. Examples of this type of cancer are breast, colon, and lung cancer.

Leukemias start in the bone marrow, or soft, spongy center of the bone where blood cells are made. In most cases of leukemia, the body makes large number of white blood cells (leukocytes) that do not work properly.

Lymphomas start in the glands or nodes of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a network of vessels, nodes, and organs that purify body fluids and make lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights infection.

Sarcomas start in supportive or connective tissue, such as the bones, tendons, cartilage, muscle, and fat.

 

 Who Is At Risk?

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease, according to the American Cancer Society.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide.  Breast cancer is hormone related, and the factors that modify the risk of breast cancer when diagnosed pre-menopause and when diagnosed post-menopause are not the same. Half of all men and one-third of all women in the United States will develop cancer at some point during their lifetime. The American Cancer Society predicts that 1,529,560 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2010.  Cancer does not discriminate.  Although the risk of cancer increases as we get older, people of any age and racial or ethnic background can and do get cancer.

 Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Symptoms of breast cancer may include:

• Breast lump or lump in the armpit that is hard, has uneven edges, and usually does not hurt
• Change in the size, shape, or feel of the breast or nipple -- for example, you may have redness, dimpling, or puckering that looks like the skin of an orange
• Fluid coming from the nipple -- may be bloody, clear to yellow, green, and look like pus

Men get breast cancer, too. Symptoms include breast lump, breast pain and tenderness.

Symptoms of advanced breast cancer may include:

• Bone pain
• Breast pain or discomfort
• Skin ulcers
• Swelling of one arm (next to breast with cancer)
• Weight loss

 Treatment

Cancer is treated by an Oncologist. Oncologists are physician specialists who study, diagnose, and treat cancerous tumors.

Typical Cancer Treatments may include:

• Chemotherapy medicines to kill cancer cells
• Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue
• Surgery to remove cancerous tissue -- a lumpectomy removes the breast lump; mastectomy removes all or part of the breast and possible nearby structures
• Hormonal therapy to block certain hormones that fuel cancer growth
• Targeted therapy to interfere with cancer cell growth and function

by Felicia Wills