Cancer has been around for several years. There are over a hundred cancer types, the most common types of cancer are: leukaemia, bladder, breast, rectal, lung, pancreatic, skin to name but a few. Cancer is known to be devoid of age and social class as it attacks all age groups and social status. Currently it is the number on killer in the world especially in the 2nd and 3rd world countries. The number of deaths associated with cancer have been steadily rising globally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) projects that there will be an increase of over 44% in deaths caused by cancer from 2007 to 2030.
that implies that the number of deaths caused by cancer will increase from the current 7. 9 million in a year to 11. 5 million in a year by 2030. This estimation is achieved by assuming hat the number of deaths caused by cancer in certain first world countries will decrease. WHO further projects that the number of new infections reported will increase from 11. 3 million to 15. 5 million within the same period. Introduction Cancer comes second to cardiovascular diseases as the major cause of death in developed nations.
recent surveys show the emergence of this trend in less developed countries especially the second world countries. Currently the developing countries account for more than half of the cancer cases (1). The greatest killer of the cancer is Lung cancer which according to prediction, will continue holding the crown unless there tobacco control is intensified. Developed nations have higher cases of prostrate, breast and colon cancer whereas the developing nations report more cases of liver, stomach and cervical cancer (2). There are a number of risk factors associated with cancer.
These include use of tobacco and alcohol, inadequate diet, lack of exercise, exposure to radiation and some forms of infection. Tobacco use alone is responsible for over 60% of cancer related deaths in the second and third world countries, globally it accounts to 40% of the deaths (3). Out of the 1. 8 million cancer deaths in a year, 274000 of them can be attributed to obesity or lack of physical exercise. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism account to about 350000 cancer deaths. STD’s and other sexually transmitted infections are responsible for approximately a quarter million deaths in a year (4).
Occupational Exposure to radiation and other carcinogens has more than 152000 people dying of cancer in a year. Due to the nature of cancer it is easier to control as 40% of the deaths caused by cancer are due to preventable causes. management of the disease on the other hand is very costly and time consuming. In 2005 cancer contributed to over 13% of the deaths reported worldwide (5). Furthermore, 2nd and 3rd world countries are responsible for over seventy percent of the cancer deaths. The five most killer types of cancer in men are lung, stomach, liver, colorectal and oesophagus.
Tobacco use the greatest cause of ( preventable) cancer related death. STI’s account for a 20% of all the cancer cases in the world. WHO estimates that early detection and treatment could lead to the cure of a third of the cancer cases (6). The need for pain relief by cancer patients could be met if the current pain control and palliative care techniques were applied to those situations. Cancer is a fungus In order to come up with a cure for cancer there is need to deeply study it to ascertain it’s nature and weaknesses.
There are some key characteristics of cancer that have to be considered in studying the cancers first is the uncontrolled replication and change in colour of affected cells (7). Another key characteristic is the spreading nature of the cancers. Fungi can be classified as yeasts or moulds. They have several characteristics and are very versatile. For instance they appear in various colours ant textures they can live in both land, air, water and as parasites inside other organisms (8). The fungi reproduce by the use of spores and have a much more developed body than other microscopic organisms.
This class of organisms has over one million species on earth. The fungi are of a lower life form than humans and animals, but they are the key to the Carbon cycle as it reduces the dead matter (9). The exception is that fungi can attack living organisms. The body mechanism is strong enough to deal with the attacks of the fungus but if the mechanism is weakened the fungal spores in our bodies start growing and that’s when the infection becomes visible. it has further been discovered that reduction of oxygen supplies to healthy issues makes them cancerous.
Anaerobic respiration is the main way of energy formation of the attacking fungus whereas aerobic respiration is the main way of energy creation by the human tissue (10). Lack of oxygen therefore favors the fungus who thus overcome the tissue resistance. There have been some key similarities between the cancers and fungi. First they both use sugar this implies that they both perspire. Secondly fungi have been known to exist in a variety of colors this isn’t any different for the cancers as they cancerous cells are rarely seen to have any unique color (11).
There is also a close relationship between cancer and fungi as cancer patients are prone to developing fungal infections. This clearly shows that the fungi and the cancers can coexist peacefully and complement each other which is characteristic of organisms that are closely related. The two further attach to the blood platelets to mestatize. This clearly show that they share the same body mechanisms bringing home the fact that they are closely related.
The other key way in which they are similar is in the way the DNA of both the cancer and the fungi incorporate with the host DNA to form a hybrid cell that has abnormal features. Furthermore they both thrive in environments filled with nutrients and enzymes which is favorable for the multiplication of the hybrid cells. The other key similarities lie in the way they both respire anaerobically and produce lactic acid. Furthermore both the cancers and the fungi thrive in conditions with PH of less than seven that is to say acidic conditions.
It is also true that both cancers and fungi respond well to anti-fungal treatment that is to say they are affected negatively by some common factors (12-15). From the above similarities it can be seen that the cancers and the fungi are conspicuously similar in fact as a summary of their similarities is that they look the same, act the same, are affected by the same agents and even like to be around each other. From this short summary of their similarities it would not be far fetched in hypothesizing that the two must be one and the same thing as such similarities.