Cancer – What is It and How Does It Affect You?
Cancer is a disease that starts when cells grow out of control. Normally, your body’s cells grow and divide to make new cells to replace old or damaged ones, but cancerous (malignant) cells ignore the body’s signal to stop growing and instead keep multiplying. Over time, these cancerous cells can build up and form a mass of abnormal cells, called a tumour. Eventually, these cells can break away from the original tumour and travel to different parts of the body. These new tumours are called secondary cancers or metastases and they can stop parts of the body working properly.
There are many types of cancer and each type has different characteristics. Some grow and spread fast, others are more slowly invasive. Most cancers are divided into groups based on where they start in the body and how quickly they grow. Cancers are also classified based on how abnormal their cells are and how they behave. This helps doctors treat the right cells and prevent them from spreading to other parts of the body.
Most cancers start because of changes (mutations) in genes that regulate how your cells grow and develop. These mutations can be caused by chemicals, physical factors or some infections. Cancers can also be inherited, which means they are passed on by your parents.
Cancer can affect people in different ways, and some have no symptoms at all. But if you have a persistent pain, a lump or a persistent cough that won’t go away, then let your doctor know. This may not be cancer, but it could be a sign that something is wrong and needs to be checked out.
When cancer does occur, it can be found in any part of the body, but the most common places are the lungs, breasts, skin and colon. Cancers can be cured by treating the tumour, but sometimes it comes back after treatment. Some cancers, such as leukaemia and lymphoma, are blood diseases and spread from the bone marrow to the rest of the body.
There are also some types of cancer that do not spread and are not cured by current treatments, but new therapies are being developed all the time. These can target specific genetic faults in the cancerous cells or block the blood supply that cancers need to grow.
The chances of getting cancer can seem random, and some people do not get it at all. But scientists are learning more about what makes some people more likely to develop cancer, and how to reduce this risk. This is called cancer prevention. This can include avoiding tobacco, keeping your weight in check, protecting yourself from sunlight and taking vaccines for illnesses like the hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus (which help to prevent cervical cancer). More information on how you can protect yourself from developing cancer can be found on the NHS Choices website.
Cancer is a disease that starts when cells grow out of control. Normally, your body’s cells grow and divide to make new cells to replace old or damaged ones, but cancerous (malignant) cells ignore the body’s signal to stop growing and instead keep multiplying. Over time, these cancerous cells can build up and form a mass of abnormal cells, called a tumour. Eventually, these cells can break away from the original tumour and travel to different parts of the body. These new tumours are called secondary cancers or metastases and they can stop parts of the body working properly. There are many types of cancer and each type has different characteristics. Some grow and spread fast, others are more slowly invasive. Most cancers are divided into groups based on where they start in the body and how quickly they grow. Cancers are also classified based on how abnormal their cells are and how they behave. This helps doctors treat the right cells and prevent them from spreading to other parts of the body. Most cancers start because of changes (mutations) in genes that regulate how your cells grow and develop. These mutations can be caused by chemicals, physical factors or some infections. Cancers can also be inherited, which means they are passed on by your parents. Cancer can affect people in different ways, and some have no symptoms at all. But if you have a persistent pain, a lump or a persistent cough that won’t go away, then let your doctor know. This may not be cancer, but it could be a sign that something is wrong and needs to be checked out. When cancer does occur, it can be found in any part of the body, but the most common places are the lungs, breasts, skin and colon. Cancers can be cured by treating the tumour, but sometimes it comes back after treatment. Some cancers, such as leukaemia and lymphoma, are blood diseases and spread from the bone marrow to the rest of the body. There are also some types of cancer that do not spread and are not cured by current treatments, but new therapies are being developed all the time. These can target specific genetic faults in the cancerous cells or block the blood supply that cancers need to grow. The chances of getting cancer can seem random, and some people do not get it at all. But scientists are learning more about what makes some people more likely to develop cancer, and how to reduce this risk. This is called cancer prevention. This can include avoiding tobacco, keeping your weight in check, protecting yourself from sunlight and taking vaccines for illnesses like the hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus (which help to prevent cervical cancer). More information on how you can protect yourself from developing cancer can be found on the NHS Choices website.