How does cancer feed?
Cancerous tumors grow quickly, but do you know how cancer feeds?
Read on to learn a little more about this interesting topic.
What and how do cancerous tumors feed on?
Many of the foods we eat, regardless of the amount of vitamins and nutrients they contain, can raise or reduce the risk of cancer.
In fact, scientists continue to study to really know what a cancerous tumour feeds on and what is the relationship between certain foods and cancer.
In particular, these cells take advantage of the simple sugar they find in the blood to feed themselves and obtain energy.
However, certain types of meat are mostly associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.
Red meats (beef, beef, pork and lamb) as well as processed meats (bacon, beef jerky, sausages, ham, sausages, salami and delicatessen products) are part of this set.
Similarly, excessive alcoholic beverages have also been linked to the appearance of some types of cancer.
On the other hand, it is difficult to find a specific connection between a food and cancer, due to:
Most foods contain various substances in greater or lesser concentration.
We generally consume several foods and drinks at the same time.
The effect of everything we consume is variable, since the portion is different in each individual.
While it is difficult to determine the foods that can be considered cancer-promoting, one thing that is certain is that cancerous tumors feed on our blood vessels, which reproduce from existing ones through a process called angiogenesis.
The tumor develops proteins that cause new blood vessels to attach to it.
Similarly, the tumor and its cancer cells feed on glucose, which makes its development and reproduction much faster.
Even so, the problem with starting a certain type of diet is that it must be avoided that it negatively affects all the other cells of the body; resulting in a state of malnutrition that also leads to a loss of muscle mass that physically weakens the patient.
What influences tumor growth?
Undoubtedly, the development of a tumor will not only depend on the cell division that promotes its growth; It is also measured by the rate of dead cells in its path.
Also, to the extent that we know what cancer cells feed on, the treatment to fight the tumor will be much more effective.
Tumor growth factors
The genetic mutations that develop cancer are often the result of the harmful effect of certain chemicals, prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays, excessive consumption of medications, vulnerability to viruses or other environmental agents.
Similarly, there are abnormal agents that are the hereditary result in some cancers.
Sometimes the risk is due to the alteration of a single gene; in other cases, to the interaction of several.
On the other hand, age is also a factor in tumor development; since statistics indicate that 65% of people who suffer from cancer are over 60 years of age.
How are cancer cells fought?
Now that you know how cancer feeds, you should also know that there are several ways and treatments to combat it.
Among the main ones are:
Chemotherapy:
Treatment based on drugs that shrink or kill cancer cells.
Radiotherapy:
Exposure to high-energy rays that kill cancer cells.
Surgery:
A surgical method used to remove or remove tissue with cancer cells.
Immunotherapy:
A treatment that works with and strengthens the body's immune system, to help it fight cancer cells.
Hormone therapy:
It is responsible for hindering the hormones that cancer cells need for their development.
