You probably already know the two common types of tumors, benign and malignant, but did you know they do something called staging? This process helps the doctors determine how far the cancer has traveled by looking at the tumor.

Surgery is the only way to find out how far the cancer has spread from the tumor. There are a few standard methods that they use to gauge this, the most common one is called TNM. Each letter has a meaning.

T - stands for the size of the tumor.

N - determines the speed at which the cells are traveling within the node system.

M - determines how far the cancer cells are from the tumor and how often they multiply.

Using this method, doctors can make a judgment about the type of treatment to give and how fast this disease is traveling. Some cancers do not form tumors. For example, leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood.

Tumor Varieties

Pineal tumors - are found in the pineal gland a small structure deep within the brain. These tumors represent about 1% of all brain tumors but account for 3% to 8% of the tumors that occur in children. At least 17 different types of tumors may occur in this region, and many are benign.

Pancoast tumors - originate at the top margin of the lung. They form abnormal patches of tissue over the lung apex and principally involve the chest wall structures rather than the underlying lung tissue. There is something called Pancoast Syndrome which presents pain in the shoulders and the inner side of the arm and hands. Pancoast tumors tend to spread to the surrounding tissue, caught early and as long as the cancer cells haven't spread to the lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped structures found throughout the body), these tumors can be successfully treated.

Carcinoid tumors - these are called midway tumors, thats because they are neither benign or malignant. Among these rare tumors are carcinoid lung tumors.These "cancers in slow motion" have the potential for being malignant, they mostly tend to grow so slowly that people with carcinoid tumors usually live for many years (sometimes for a normal lifetime).

The million dollars question is always "what do we do now"?

We know what traditional medicine offers, chemo and radiation if it can't be removed surgically. Since we know that our body produces tumors that either holds the cancer cells in check or in the worse case they get loose, lets use this as a starting point of understanding.

It's your body so getting as much information about all the options available only makes sense. This will also take your mind off the negative thoughts that normally accompany this situation. You may think your body deceived you and you feel that you have no control of the situation, this is not true. Understanding what what cancer likes and how it grows will give you ammunition to help yourself.

What Cancer Embraces

Cancer is like any other living thing it needs certain elements to grow and continue to survive.

• Stress - levels of the stress hormone epinephrine rise significantly in response to stressful situations and depression. A published study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine reports that elevated levels of epinephrine cause resistant to cell death, a dangerous trait in cells that become cancerous.
• Alcohol - University of Mississippi research shows that alcohol can increase the body's production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which can aid the growth of tumors by helping them develop a system of blood vessels which they would otherwise die without.
• Acidic System - an acid body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenate your system. Alkaline foods keep your body healthy and functioning correctly, preventing cancer.
• Boosting Immune System - cancer loves a weak immune system. By increasing endorphins, one of the body's major mechanisms for regulating the immune system, you can prevent and control cancers.
• Toxin Removal - cancer loves toxins, oxidation. This is the enemy, it destroys good vascular tissue, weakens immune function and overworks vital organs.

So you see by depriving cancer of what it likes you can help yourself if cancer has made its way into your body. Of course your mind can be your friend or your worst enemy, it just depends on what you think. Getting more information about Tumors will help you understand what and how you can use them to your advantage.

Taking away the things that cancer likes can be just the edge you need to overcoming this disease.