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Question:

How does cancer kill?

Answer:

There are various ways cancer can result in death.

1. Cancer is uncontrolled growth of tissues resulting in a high metabolic demand. This often leads to anorexia and weakness.

2. Cancer cells lack normal function and can disrupt the normal body functions. For example, patients with leukemia are predisposed to infections since the white blood cells cannot function properly.

3. Patients with cancer who are also taking therapy are often immunocompromised, predisposing them to infections and increasing mortality.

4. Distant spread of tumor cells is often associated with increased mortality.

5. Compression of structures by tumor cells can disrupt the normal function of vital organs.

6. Tumor cells often produce inflammatory mediators causing anorexia and pain; they also produce ectopic hormones (Para neoplastic syndromes), which causes hormonal dysfunction.