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74-527: The concept behind radionics originated with two books published by American physician Albert Abrams in 1909 and 1910. Over the next decade, Abrams became a millionaire by leasing EMT machines, which he designed himself. This so-called treatment contradicts the principles of physics and biology and therefore is widely considered pseudoscientific . The United States Food and Drug Administration does not recognize any legitimate medical use for radionic devices. Several systematic reviews have shown radionics

148-431: A radio , and Abrams claimed it could diagnose any known disease from a single drop of blood or alternatively the subject's handwriting. He performed diagnoses on dried blood samples sent to him on pieces of paper in envelopes through the mail. Apparently Abrams even claimed he could conduct medical practice over the telephone with his machines, and that he could determine personality characteristics. The Dynomizer

222-490: A " great imitator ". People may become anxious or depressed post-diagnosis. The risk of suicide in people with cancer is approximately double. Local symptoms may occur due to the mass of the tumor or its ulceration. For example, mass effects from lung cancer can block the bronchus resulting in cough or pneumonia ; esophageal cancer can cause narrowing of the esophagus , making it difficult or painful to swallow; and colorectal cancer may lead to narrowing or blockages in

296-491: A change in bowel movements . While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they can also have other causes. Over 100 types of cancers affect humans. Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths. Another 10% are due to obesity , poor diet , lack of physical activity or excessive alcohol consumption . Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation , and environmental pollutants. Infection with specific viruses, bacteria and parasites

370-474: A concern. This includes that studies have not found a consistent link between mobile phone radiation and cancer risk. The vast majority of cancers are non-hereditary (sporadic). Hereditary cancers are primarily caused by an inherited genetic defect. Less than 0.3% of the population are carriers of a genetic mutation that has a large effect on cancer risk and these cause less than 3–10% of cancer. Some of these syndromes include: certain inherited mutations in

444-474: A disease called "bovine syphilis", unknown to other medical practitioners. He claimed the Oscilloclast was capable of defeating most of these diseases, most of the time. By 1921, there were claimed to be 3,500 practitioners using ERA technology. Conventional medical practitioners were extremely suspicious. When people opened Abrams's boxes, they found "simple wiring, a few resistors, a small motor that only made

518-523: A drop of blood. He developed thirteen devices and became a millionaire leasing his devices, and the American Medical Association described him as the "dean of gadget quacks". His devices were definitively proven useless by an independent investigation commissioned by Scientific American in 1924. He used " frequency " not in its standard meaning, but to describe an imputed energy type, which does not correspond to any property of energy in

592-691: A few found themselves facing fraud charges in court. In a case in Jonesboro, Arkansas , Abrams was called to be a witness, but he died of pneumonia at age 60 shortly before the trial began in January 1924. After his death, investigators with the Food and Drug Administration opened some of the doctor's boxes. One produced a magnetic field, similar to a doorbell; another was a low-powered radio wave transmitter. Psychologist Donovan Rawcliffe claimed that Abrams' devices had no scientific validity but his successors had "founded

666-503: A good many special clinics in the United States and their number has by no means diminished in the ensuing years." Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors , which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and

740-500: A humming noise, and nothing that could in any way perform a diagnosis or 'broadcast' or even produce radio waves." In the 1970s, Bob DeVries, a product designer for Hewlett-Packard , had a chance to repair an old Oscilloclast (1934). It was owned by a lady whose father had been a president of Abrams' Electronic Medical Foundation and improver of their devices; she had several such devices and believed that electric therapy to be beneficial, from her own experience. DeVries not only restored

814-472: A mixture of occultism and pseudoscience by critics. Modern practitioners conceptualize these devices merely as a focusing aid to the practitioner's proclaimed dowsing abilities, and claim that there is no longer any need for the device to have any demonstrable function. Indeed, Abrams' black boxes had no purpose of their own, being merely obfuscated collections of wires and electronic parts. Contemporary proponents of radionics or EMT claim that where there

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888-566: A persistent fever . Shortness of breath, called dyspnea , is a common symptom of cancer and its treatment. The causes of cancer-related dyspnea can include tumors in or around the lung, blocked airways, fluid in the lungs, pneumonia, or treatment reactions including an allergic response . Treatment for dyspnea in patients with advanced cancer can include fans , bilevel ventilation, acupressure / reflexology and multicomponent nonpharmacological interventions . Some systemic symptoms of cancer are caused by hormones or other molecules produced by

962-426: A radionic device is very simple, and may not even form a functional electrical circuit . The wiring in the analysis device is simply used as a mystical conduit. A radionic device does not use or need electric power, though a power cord may be provided, ostensibly to determine a "base rate" on which the device operates to attempt to heal a subject. Typically, little attempt is made to define or describe what, if anything,

1036-539: A role. Oncoviruses (viruses that can cause human cancer) include: Bacterial infection may also increase the risk of cancer, as seen in Parasitic infections associated with cancer include: Radiation exposure such as ultraviolet radiation and radioactive material is a risk factor for cancer. Many non-melanoma skin cancers are due to ultraviolet radiation, mostly from sunlight. Sources of ionizing radiation include medical imaging and radon gas. Ionizing radiation

1110-538: A total of fourteen years: five years (1885–1889) as Demonstrator of Pathology; four years (1890–1893) as Adjunct to the Chair of Clinical Medicine and Demonstrator of Pathology; and five years (1894–1898) as Professor of Pathology. He was described by one Jewish newspaper as “our talented young professor.” He was elected vice-president of the California State Medical Society in 1889 and was made president of

1184-416: Is about 2. The corresponding relative risk is 1.5 for lung cancer, and 1.9 for prostate cancer . For breast cancer, the relative risk is 1.8 with a first-degree relative having developed it at 50 years of age or older, and 3.3 when the relative developed it when being younger than 50 years of age. Taller people have an increased risk of cancer because they have more cells than shorter people. Since height

1258-550: Is also used to diagnose disease under this scheme. Having done this, the practitioner may use a special device known as an oscilloclast or any of a range of other devices to broadcast vibrations at the patient in order to attempt to heal them. Other notable quack devices in radionics have included the Ionaco and the Hieronymus machine . Some people claim to have the paranormal or parapsychological ability to detect "radiation" within

1332-446: Is an environmental factor causing approximately 16–18% of cancers worldwide. These infectious agents include Helicobacter pylori , hepatitis B , hepatitis C , human papillomavirus infection , Epstein–Barr virus , Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 , Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and Merkel cell polyomavirus . Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does not directly cause cancer but it causes immune deficiency that can magnify

1406-445: Is an imbalance of electromagnetic fields or frequencies , within the body, that it causes diseases or other illnesses by disrupting the body's chemical makeup. These practitioners believe that applications of electromagnetic energy from outside the body can correct these imbalances. Like magnet therapy , electromagnetic therapy has been proposed by practitioners of alternative medicine for a variety of purposes, including, according to

1480-475: Is flowing along the wires and being measured. Energy in the physical sense, i.e., energy that can be sensed and measured, is viewed as subordinate to intent and "creative action". Claims about contemporary EMT devices are similar to those made by the older generation of "radionics" devices, and are also not supported by evidence and are also pseudoscientific . Even though some of the early works in bioelectromagnetics have been applied in clinical medicine, there

1554-537: Is generally not a transmissible disease . Exceptions include rare transmissions that occur with pregnancies and occasional organ donors . However, transmissible infectious diseases such as hepatitis B , Epstein-Barr virus , Human Papilloma Virus and HIV , can contribute to the development of cancer. Exposure to particular substances have been linked to specific types of cancer. These substances are called carcinogens . Tobacco smoke , for example, causes 90% of lung cancer. Tobacco use can cause cancer throughout

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1628-413: Is genetically determined to a large extent, taller people have a heritable increase of cancer risk. Some substances cause cancer primarily through their physical, rather than chemical, effects. A prominent example of this is prolonged exposure to asbestos , naturally occurring mineral fibers that are a major cause of mesothelioma (cancer of the serous membrane ) usually the serous membrane surrounding

1702-581: Is more common in Japan due to its high-salt diet while colon cancer is more common in the United States. Immigrant cancer profiles mirror those of their new country, often within one generation. Worldwide, approximately 18% of cancer deaths are related to infectious diseases . This proportion ranges from a high of 25% in Africa to less than 10% in the developed world. Viruses are the usual infectious agents that cause cancer but bacteria and parasites may also play

1776-607: Is no more effective than placebo and falls into the category of pseudoscience. Beginning around 1909, Albert Abrams (1864–1924) began to claim that he could detect "energy frequencies" in his patient's bodies. The idea was that a healthy person will have certain energy frequencies moving through their body that define health, while an unhealthy person will exhibit other, different energy frequencies that define disorders. He said he could cure people by "balancing" their discordant frequencies and claimed that his devices are sensitive enough that he could tell someone's religion by looking at

1850-433: Is no relationship between alternative devices or methods that use externally applied electrical forces and the use of electromagnetic energy in mainstream medicine. The American Cancer Society says that "relying on electromagnetic treatment alone and avoiding conventional medical care may have serious health consequences". In some cases the devices may be ineffective and harmful. Several systematic reviews have shown EMT

1924-403: Is not inherited , such as lifestyle, economic, and behavioral factors and not merely pollution. Common environmental factors that contribute to cancer death include tobacco use (25–30%), diet and obesity (30–35%), infections (15–20%), radiation (both ionizing and non-ionizing, up to 10%), lack of physical activity , and pollution. Psychological stress does not appear to be a risk factor for

1998-474: Is not a particularly strong mutagen . Residential exposure to radon gas, for example, has similar cancer risks as passive smoking . Radiation is a more potent source of cancer when combined with other cancer-causing agents, such as radon plus tobacco smoke. Radiation can cause cancer in most parts of the body, in all animals and at any age. Children are twice as likely to develop radiation-induced leukemia as adults; radiation exposure before birth has ten times

2072-483: Is not a useful therapy: The FDA has banned some commercially available EMT devices. In 2008 the VIBE machine from Vibe Technologies had a Class I recall that was completed in 2012. Other ineffectual EMT therapy devices that have been marketed include: Albert Abrams Albert Abrams (December 8, 1863 – January 13, 1924) was a fraudulent American physician , well known during his life for inventing machines, such as

2146-427: Is predominantly used in the production of Teflon , is known to cause two kinds of cancer. Chemotherapy drugs such as platinum-based compounds are carcinogens that increase the risk of secondary cancers Azathioprine , an immunosuppressive medication , is a carcinogen that can cause primary tumors to develop. Diet, physical inactivity , and obesity are related to up to 30–35% of cancer deaths. In

2220-457: Is then typically further investigated by medical imaging and confirmed by biopsy . The risk of developing certain cancers can be reduced by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol intake, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains , vaccination against certain infectious diseases, limiting consumption of processed meat and red meat , and limiting exposure to direct sunlight. Early detection through screening

2294-409: Is useful for cervical and colorectal cancer . The benefits of screening for breast cancer are controversial. Cancer is often treated with some combination of radiation therapy , surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy . Pain and symptom management are an important part of care. Palliative care is particularly important in people with advanced disease. The chance of survival depends on

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2368-621: The American Cancer Society , "ulcers, headaches, burns, chronic pain, nerve disorders, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, gum infections, asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, cerebral palsy, heart disease, and cancer ". Another variant of radionics or EMT is magnetic resonance therapy . The claims for radionic devices contradict the accepted principles of biology and physics. No scientifically verifiable mechanisms of function for these devices has been posited, and they are often described as "magical" in operation. No plausible biophysical basis for

2442-556: The Scientific American investigators to observe his procedure. Doctor X got the contents of all six vials completely wrong. He examined the vials and pointed out that they had labels in red ink, which produced vibrations that confounded the instruments. The investigators gave him the vials again with less offensive labels, and he got the contents wrong again. The results were published in Scientific American , and investigators continued their work. Abrams offered to "cooperate" with

2516-551: The University of Heidelberg ; however, documents from Archive of University Heidelberg confirm that Albert Abrams received a medical degree there on 21 November 1882. In Abrams' view, American medicine was dominated by physicians with excessive admiration for German doctors and researchers. In earlier writings, he insulted physicians by calling them "Dr. Hades" or "Dr. Inferior", by comparing their looks to typhoid and other germs , and by making fun of various abstruse therapies that at

2590-402: The bowel , affecting bowel habits. Masses in breasts or testicles may produce observable lumps. Ulceration can cause bleeding that can lead to symptoms such as coughing up blood (lung cancer), anemia or rectal bleeding (colon cancer), blood in the urine (bladder cancer), or abnormal vaginal bleeding (endometrial or cervical cancer). Although localized pain may occur in advanced cancer,

2664-584: The immune system and endocrine system . More than half of the effect from the diet is due to overnutrition (eating too much), rather than from eating too few vegetables or other healthful foods. Some specific foods are linked to specific cancers. A high-salt diet is linked to gastric cancer . Aflatoxin B1 , a frequent food contaminant, causes liver cancer. Betel nut chewing can cause oral cancer. National differences in dietary practices may partly explain differences in cancer incidence. For example, gastric cancer

2738-452: The lungs , liver , brain, and the bones . While some cancers can be cured if detected early, metastatic cancer is more difficult to treat and control. Nevertheless, some recent treatments are demonstrating encouraging results. The majority of cancers, some 90–95% of cases, are due to genetic mutations from environmental and lifestyle factors. The remaining 5–10% are due to inherited genetics . Environmental refers to any cause that

2812-576: The six hallmarks of cancer . These characteristics are required to produce a malignant tumor. They include: The progression from normal cells to cells that can form a detectable mass to cancer involves multiple steps known as malignant progression. When cancer begins, it produces no symptoms. Signs and symptoms appear as the mass grows or ulcerates . The findings that result depend on cancer's type and location. Few symptoms are specific . Many frequently occur in individuals who have other conditions. Cancer can be difficult to diagnose and can be considered

2886-460: The tumor microenvironment . Oncogenes build up an inflammatory pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. Hormones also play a role in the development of cancer by promoting cell proliferation . Insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins play a key role in cancer cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis , suggesting possible involvement in carcinogenesis. Hormones are important agents in sex-related cancers, such as cancer of

2960-576: The "Oscilloclast" and the "Radioclast", which he falsely claimed could diagnose and cure almost any disease. These claims were challenged from the outset. Towards the end of his life, and again shortly after his death, many of his machines and conclusions were demonstrated to be intentionally deceptive or false. Albert Abrams was born in San Francisco on December 8, 1863, to Marcus Abrams and Rachel Leavey, although other dates have also been reported. On October 8, 1878, he inscribed at Medical College of

3034-569: The "putative energy fields" has been proposed, and neither the fields themselves nor their purported therapeutic effects have been convincingly demonstrated. No radionic device has been found efficacious in the diagnosis or treatment of any disease, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recognize any legitimate medical uses of any such device. According to David Helwig in The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine , "most physicians dismiss radionics as quackery ". Internally,

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3108-665: The Pacific , worked as an assistant of Prof. Douglass and Prof. Hirschfelder, and got a medical degree on October 30, 1881. Then he went to Heidelberg , Germany, and graduated there in November 1882 before undertaking further studies in London, Berlin, Vienna, and Paris. According to Wilson, Abrams was awarded an M.D. by the Cooper College in 1883. He served on the teaching staff of the College for

3182-604: The San Francisco Medico-Chirurgical Society in 1893. In the beginning of the 1900s he had become a respected expert in neurology. From 1904 he was president of the Emanuel Polyclinic in San Francisco. Abrams published numerous books from 1891 to 1923. He died January 13, 1924, from a broncho-pneumonia in San Francisco. Abrams was accused of fraudulently claiming a medical qualification from

3256-745: The United States have mirrored smoking patterns, with increases in smoking followed by dramatic increases in lung cancer death rates and, more recently, decreases in smoking rates since the 1950s followed by decreases in lung cancer death rates in men since 1990. In Western Europe, 10% of cancers in males and 3% of cancers in females are attributed to alcohol exposure, especially liver and digestive tract cancers. Cancer from work-related substance exposures may cause between 2 and 20% of cases, causing at least 200,000 deaths. Cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma can come from inhaling tobacco smoke or asbestos fibers, or leukemia from exposure to benzene . Exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which

3330-479: The United States, excess body weight is associated with the development of many types of cancer and is a factor in 14–20% of cancer deaths. A UK study including data on over 5 million people showed higher body mass index to be related to at least 10 types of cancer and responsible for around 12,000 cases each year in that country. Physical inactivity is believed to contribute to cancer risk, not only through its effect on body weight but also through negative effects on

3404-414: The body (such as through inhalation) and require years of exposure to produce cancer. Physical trauma resulting in cancer is relatively rare. Claims that breaking bones resulted in bone cancer, for example, have not been proven. Similarly, physical trauma is not accepted as a cause for cervical cancer, breast cancer or brain cancer. One accepted source is frequent, long-term application of hot objects to

3478-404: The body including in the mouth and throat, larynx , esophagus , stomach, bladder, kidney, cervix, colon/rectum, liver and pancreas . Tobacco smoke contains over fifty known carcinogens, including nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons . Tobacco is responsible for about one in five cancer deaths worldwide and about one in three in the developed world. Lung cancer death rates in

3552-401: The body. It is possible that repeated burns on the same part of the body, such as those produced by kanger and kairo heaters (charcoal hand warmers ), may produce skin cancer, especially if carcinogenic chemicals are also present. Frequent consumption of scalding hot tea may produce esophageal cancer. Generally, it is believed that cancer arises, or a pre-existing cancer is encouraged, during

3626-440: The book Spondylotherapy in several editions between 1910 and 1918. A simplified version of spondylotherapy was first published by Alva Emeey Gregory, M.D. in 1914. Abrams promoted an idea that electrons were the basic element of all life. He called this ERA , for Electronic Reactions of Abrams , and introduced a number of different machines which he claimed were based on these principles. The Dynomizer looked something like

3700-527: The breast, endometrium , prostate, ovary and testis and also of thyroid cancer and bone cancer . For example, the daughters of women who have breast cancer have significantly higher levels of estrogen and progesterone than the daughters of women without breast cancer. These higher hormone levels may explain their higher risk of breast cancer, even in the absence of a breast-cancer gene. Similarly, men of African ancestry have significantly higher levels of testosterone than men of European ancestry and have

3774-457: The developing world. The global total economic costs of cancer were estimated at US$ 1.16 trillion (equivalent to $ 1.62 trillion in 2023) per year as of 2010 . The word comes from the ancient Greek [καρκίνος] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) , meaning 'crab' and 'tumor'. Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen , among others, noted the similarity of crabs to some tumors with swollen veins. The word

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3848-426: The diagnosed diseases. Abrams came up with new and even more impressive gadgets, the "Oscilloclast" and the "Radioclast", which came with tables of frequencies that were designed to "attack" specific diseases. Clients were told cures required repeated treatments. Dynomizer operators tended to give alarming diagnoses, involving combinations of such maladies as cancer , diabetes and syphilis . Abrams often included

3922-404: The dispute through the intervention of a scientifically respected third party was pursued. Scientific American magazine decided to investigate Dr. Abrams' claims. Scientific American was interested in the matter as readers were writing letters to the editor saying that Abrams' revolutionary machines were one of the greatest inventions of the century and so needed to be discussed in the pages of

3996-455: The effect. Medical use of ionizing radiation is a small but growing source of radiation-induced cancers. Ionizing radiation may be used to treat other cancers, but this may, in some cases, induce a second form of cancer. It is also used in some kinds of medical imaging . Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun can lead to melanoma and other skin malignancies. Clear evidence establishes ultraviolet radiation, especially

4070-445: The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 with a more than 75% risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer , and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC or Lynch syndrome), which is present in about 3% of people with colorectal cancer , among others. Statistically for cancers causing most mortality, the relative risk of developing colorectal cancer when a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) has been diagnosed with it

4144-432: The human body, which they call radiesthesia . According to the theory, all human bodies give off unique or characteristic "radiations" as do all other physical bodies or objects. Such radiations are often termed an " aura ". Radiesthesia is cited as the explanation of such phenomena as dowsing by rods and pendulums in order to locate buried substances, diagnose illnesses, and the like. Radiesthesia has been described as

4218-479: The initial tumor is usually painless. Some cancers can cause a buildup of fluid within the chest or abdomen . Systemic symptoms may occur due to the body's response to the cancer. This may include fatigue, unintentional weight loss, or skin changes. Some cancers can cause a systemic inflammatory state that leads to ongoing muscle loss and weakness, known as cachexia . Some cancers, such as Hodgkin's disease , leukemias , and liver or kidney cancers , can cause

4292-519: The investigators, but always failed to do so on various pretexts. Abrams never actually participated in the investigation, and in ERA publications asserted he was a victim of unjust persecution. An AMA member sent a blood sample to an Abrams practitioner, and got back a diagnosis that the patient had malaria , diabetes, cancer and syphilis. The blood sample was in fact from a Plymouth Rock rooster . Similar samples were sent to other Abrams practitioners, and

4366-441: The lungs. Other substances in this category, including both naturally occurring and synthetic asbestos-like fibers, such as wollastonite , attapulgite , glass wool and rock wool , are believed to have similar effects. Non-fibrous particulate materials that cause cancer include powdered metallic cobalt and nickel and crystalline silica ( quartz , cristobalite and tridymite ). Usually, physical carcinogens must get inside

4440-429: The magazine. Scientific American assembled a team of investigators who worked with a senior Abrams associate given the pseudonym "Doctor X". The investigators developed a series of tests and the magazine asked readers to suggest their own tests. The investigators asked Doctor X to identify six vials containing unknown pathogens . It seems likely that Doctor X honestly believed in his Abrams machines; in fact, he allowed

4514-496: The non-ionizing medium wave UVB , as the cause of most non-melanoma skin cancers , which are the most common forms of cancer in the world. Non-ionizing radio frequency radiation from mobile phones, electric power transmission and other similar sources has been described as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization 's International Agency for Research on Cancer . Evidence, however, has not supported

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4588-413: The old oscilloclast to working order, but also developed a transistorized version for his client, which they called a "Pulsed Oscillator". The dispute between Abrams and his followers and the American Medical Association (AMA) was intensified. Defenders included American radical author Upton Sinclair and the famously credulous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , the creator of Sherlock Holmes . Resolution of

4662-462: The onset of cancer, though it may worsen outcomes in those who already have cancer. Environmental or lifestyle factors that caused cancer to develop in an individual can be identified by analyzing mutational signatures from genomic sequencing of tumor DNA. For example, this can reveal if lung cancer was caused by tobacco smoke, if skin cancer was caused by UV radiation, or if secondary cancers were caused by previous chemotherapy treatment. Cancer

4736-425: The original is called the primary tumor. Almost all cancers can metastasize. Most cancer deaths are due to cancer that has metastasized. Metastasis is common in the late stages of cancer and it can occur via the blood or the lymphatic system or both. The typical steps in metastasis are: Different types of cancers tend to metastasize to particular organs. Overall, the most common places for metastases to occur are

4810-869: The previous decade increases of 26% and 21%, respectively. The most common types of cancer in males are lung cancer , prostate cancer , colorectal cancer , and stomach cancer . In females, the most common types are breast cancer , colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer . If skin cancer other than melanoma were included in total new cancer cases each year, it would account for around 40% of cases. In children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brain tumors are most common, except in Africa, where non-Hodgkin lymphoma occurs more often. In 2012, about 165,000 children under 15 years of age were diagnosed with cancer. The risk of cancer increases significantly with age, and many cancers occur more commonly in developed countries. Rates are increasing as more people live to an old age and as lifestyle changes occur in

4884-403: The process of healing, rather than directly by the trauma. However, repeated injuries to the same tissues might promote excessive cell proliferation, which could then increase the odds of a cancerous mutation. Chronic inflammation has been hypothesized to directly cause mutation. Inflammation can contribute to proliferation, survival, angiogenesis and migration of cancer cells by influencing

4958-618: The risk due to other infections, sometimes up to several thousand fold (in the case of Kaposi's sarcoma ). Importantly, vaccination against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus have been shown to nearly eliminate risk of cancers caused by these viruses in persons successfully vaccinated prior to infection. These environmental factors act, at least partly, by changing the genes of a cell. Typically, many genetic changes are required before cancer develops. Approximately 5–10% of cancers are due to inherited genetic defects. Cancer can be detected by certain signs and symptoms or screening tests. It

5032-437: The scientific sense. In one form of radionics popularised by Abrams, some blood on a bit of filter paper is attached to a device Abrams called a "dynamizer", which is attached by wires to a string of other devices and then to the forehead of a healthy volunteer, facing west in a dim light. By tapping on his abdomen and searching for areas of "dullness", disease in the donor of the blood is diagnosed by proxy. Handwriting analysis

5106-413: The time were considered "scientific" by the medical establishment. In a poem that he wrote on balloon therapy, for instance, the doctors take their patients up in the air but do not know how to bring the balloon down again. The poem ends with the lines: "But they never came back. That's why we confess / Aëronautic therapy is not a success." Abrams developed a medical technique called spondylotherapy, which

5180-400: The tumor, known as paraneoplastic syndromes . Common paraneoplastic syndromes include hypercalcemia , which can cause altered mental state , constipation and dehydration, or hyponatremia , which can also cause altered mental status, vomiting, headaches, or seizures. Metastasis is the spread of cancer to other locations in the body. The dispersed tumors are called metastatic tumors, while

5254-461: The type of cancer and extent of disease at the start of treatment. In children under 15 at diagnosis, the five-year survival rate in the developed world is on average 80%. For cancer in the United States, the average five-year survival rate is 66% for all ages. In 2015, about 90.5 million people worldwide had cancer. In 2019, annual cancer cases grew by 23.6 million people, and there were 10 million deaths worldwide, representing over

5328-505: Was big business; by 1918, courses in spondylotherapy and ERA cost $ 200 (about the same purchasing power as $ 3,150 in 2014); equipment was leased at about $ 200 with a monthly $ 5 charge thereafter. The lessee had to sign a contract stating the device would never be opened. Abrams explained that this would disrupt their delicate adjustment, but the rule also served to prevent the Abrams devices from being examined. He then widened his claims to treating

5402-410: Was inspired by chiropractic and osteopathic ideas. The basic principle is the stimulation of nerves originating from the spinal cord, which can trigger reflex actions on viscera or inner organs. The stimulation is performed by controlled concussion with a plexor / pleximeter combination directly on the spinous processes , by sinusoidal electric currents or by application of ice. Abrams published

5476-477: Was introduced in English in the modern medical sense around 1600. Cancers comprise a large family of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. They form a subset of neoplasms . A neoplasm or tumor is a group of cells that have undergone unregulated growth and will often form a mass or lump, but may be distributed diffusely. All tumor cells show

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