What is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease that occurs when a person’s cells grow abnormally and spread into other parts of the body. Cells are the basic units of life and are made up of genes, proteins, fats, minerals, and other molecules. Normally, cells grow and divide in an orderly way to produce more cells when they are needed. Old or damaged cells die and are replaced by new ones. When normal cells become cancerous, they can grow and spread without control, and form a mass of cells called a tumor. There are over 200 different types of cancer, but they all start in cells that grow and multiply out of control.
Most of the time, cancer develops because of multiple changes in a person’s genes. These changes can have many possible causes, such as lifestyle habits, the environment, or genes that a person gets from their parents. Sometimes, there is no obvious cause for cancer.
Cells that have mutations in their genes cannot grow and divide properly. These cells may also be insensitive to the signals that tell them to stop growing or to die. Instead, they keep dividing and growing, even when there are not enough healthy cells to replace them. They can also invade nearby tissues, and spread through the blood and lymph system to other parts of the body, where they may start to grow and create new tumors.
Some cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, are found in the blood and bone marrow and can only be detected with laboratory tests. However, most cancers that occur in the solid tissue of the body need to grow to about a centimeter in size (about one-third to one-half inch) or contain about a million cells before they can be detected by a doctor.
The most common types of cancer are breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and pancreatic. These are usually treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. There are several other types of cancer that are rarer, including ovarian, uterine, and skin cancer.
The term “cancer” refers to any type of growth that is not a normal part of the body, whether it is in the skin, bones, or organs. Most cancers are malignant, which means they grow quickly and can invade surrounding tissues or other parts of the body. In most cases, the symptoms of cancer depend on where they are in the body and on what kind of cancer it is. Some cancers are benign, which means they grow slowly and do not invade other parts of the body or cause any symptoms. Benign tumors generally do not need treatment, but they can be removed with surgery or treated with medicines. Other cancers are not benign and can cause symptoms such as pain, bleeding, or a lump in the skin or a swelling in the chest or abdomen.
Cancer is a disease that occurs when a person’s cells grow abnormally and spread into other parts of the body. Cells are the basic units of life and are made up of genes, proteins, fats, minerals, and other molecules. Normally, cells grow and divide in an orderly way to produce more cells when they are needed. Old or damaged cells die and are replaced by new ones. When normal cells become cancerous, they can grow and spread without control, and form a mass of cells called a tumor. There are over 200 different types of cancer, but they all start in cells that grow and multiply out of control. Most of the time, cancer develops because of multiple changes in a person’s genes. These changes can have many possible causes, such as lifestyle habits, the environment, or genes that a person gets from their parents. Sometimes, there is no obvious cause for cancer. Cells that have mutations in their genes cannot grow and divide properly. These cells may also be insensitive to the signals that tell them to stop growing or to die. Instead, they keep dividing and growing, even when there are not enough healthy cells to replace them. They can also invade nearby tissues, and spread through the blood and lymph system to other parts of the body, where they may start to grow and create new tumors. Some cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, are found in the blood and bone marrow and can only be detected with laboratory tests. However, most cancers that occur in the solid tissue of the body need to grow to about a centimeter in size (about one-third to one-half inch) or contain about a million cells before they can be detected by a doctor. The most common types of cancer are breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and pancreatic. These are usually treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. There are several other types of cancer that are rarer, including ovarian, uterine, and skin cancer. The term “cancer” refers to any type of growth that is not a normal part of the body, whether it is in the skin, bones, or organs. Most cancers are malignant, which means they grow quickly and can invade surrounding tissues or other parts of the body. In most cases, the symptoms of cancer depend on where they are in the body and on what kind of cancer it is. Some cancers are benign, which means they grow slowly and do not invade other parts of the body or cause any symptoms. Benign tumors generally do not need treatment, but they can be removed with surgery or treated with medicines. Other cancers are not benign and can cause symptoms such as pain, bleeding, or a lump in the skin or a swelling in the chest or abdomen.