Lately, I have been trying to get some answers to a question I feel worth asking. Reason been that, both harbingers have increased mortality rate over the years.
I intend to compare both cancer and HIV and possibly try to establish basis if any, as to which is more notorious in causing death. One might be tempted to give immediate answer but without critical analysis, your answer might just be a mere guess with no strong bases.
In this article, I also intend to do justice to both life threatening diseases and at the same time critically explore their notoriety in causing death. Join me on this as it promises to open your eyes more to things you probably don't know.
First of all, let's get a little grip of what cancer and HIV/AIDS is all about.
HIV/AIDS
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus the name alone tells us that it deals severely with the immune system.
HIV is a retrovirus (meaning it stores its genetic information as RNA and has the ability of using the RNA to produce its DNA machinery for replication once inside a living host) and remains viable in the the infected person as long as the person is alive - one of the reason why infection with HIV has no cure for now.
On their own, they cannot survive, rather this virus has high affinity for a type of cell which play a huge role in human immune system known as the CD-4 cells (Cluster of Differentiation 4 cells).
The CD4 cells are a type of white blood cells that play crucial role in ensuring that the body maintains strong and healthy immune system by responding to infection.
The HIV virus has a very strong attraction to the CD4 cells. In due course, you will find out why of all cells in the body, why the CD4 cells.
The HIV virus infection leads to what is known popularly as AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome). A stage in the disease where death is a result of acquired infections.
Even ordinary little disease or ailment that on a normal, cannot kill a human being, becomes deadly. The mysteries behind this will bunraveled later. Lets continue, shall we!
Now you have gotten an inkling about HIV/AIDS, let's talk little about cance
CANCE
I am sure you must have one way or the other heard about cancer. The simplest definition of cancer is that, it is an uncontrolled abnormal growth of cells in the body.
Cells in the body are subject to regulatory mechanism and checkpoints during cell division but in a situation where these check points and regulators are absent or altered due to one reason or the other, for example due to mutation (an alteration in the genetic make up of a living organism) , this results to uncontrolled division and growth.
They could also be called malignacies or tumours (an aggregation of abnormal cells). Don't get it twisted, all cancers usually form tumours but not all tumours are cancerous.
A tumour that is not cancerous is referred to as a benign tumour. So bear in mind that not all swellings are cancers.
The well known type of cancers include carcinoma (those that arise from glands and organs such as the skin, breast, pancreas and the lungs.
Others are lymphoma (those that affect the lymphocytes), leukemia (cancer of the red blood cells), Sarcoma (cancers that affect connective tissues of the body such as the bone, muscle, fats and cartilages) and Melanoma those that affect the pigmentation of the skin.
Nothing is more important to a patient in the hospital with a tumour than being told that his / her swelling is benign and not malignant. The sigh of relief unimaginable.
Now you have basic understanding of what HIV/AIDS and cancer is, lets now go into the main discussion. This will be in our next discussion.
As for me, both are dangerous diseases and I hope I never have to get one any of them. Hahaha