Cancer – A Disease That Affects the Whole Body
Cancer is a disease that affects the whole body, not just the organs in a specific part of it. There are more than 100 types of cancer. They can start in different types of cells and grow and spread in different ways. Each cancer has its own characteristics, which is why no two cancers are exactly the same. Cancers can grow quickly or develop slowly over time. Some cancers form tumours, or lumps, while others do not. Some cancers can be controlled with medicine, while others cannot. Some types of cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, which is called metastasis.
Cancer cells develop when abnormal genes that control how cells grow and reproduce become damaged or lost. Genes are long strings of chemical messages that tell cells what to do. Most genes are in the cell nucleus, which is located inside the centre of most cells. There are many ways in which genes can be changed to produce cancer. Some genetic mutations are inherited, while other cancer-causing genes can be triggered by things that happen in the body. For example, smoking and sun exposure can cause changes to genes that increase a person’s chance of developing cancer.
There are some cancers that only affect cells in a particular part of the body, such as lung cancer or breast cancer. Other cancers can spread to tissues throughout the body, including blood vessels and nerves. This can cause new cancers to form in other parts of the body or make existing cancers more serious.
In most cases, cancers that are caught early (when they are small in size or when they have few cells) are curable. This is why it is important to see a doctor if you have any signs or symptoms of cancer, such as a lump or bleeding.
Improvements in cancer detection, better treatments and a reduction in tobacco use have all contributed to a year-on-year decrease in the number of people dying from cancer. However, there are still some cancers that are not preventable and they can cause serious illness and death.
This information is adapted from the National Cancer Institute of the United States.
This article was updated in 2021. It was originally published in 2015.
Cancer is a complex disease that causes abnormal growth of cancerous cells in the body. It can be found in any type of tissue and can spread to other areas of the body if it is not treated promptly. It can be hard to understand, but having accurate cancer information will help patients and their families cope with the disease.
There are more than 200 different types of cancer, which vary by the kind of cell they start in, how fast they grow and what they do to the body’s other cells. Some cancers form solid tumours, while others are liquid tumours that build up in the blood and bone marrow. Cancers in the blood and bone marrow are called leukemias or lymphomas. They do not usually form solid tumours, but they can be seen on laboratory tests.
Cancer is a disease that affects the whole body, not just the organs in a specific part of it. There are more than 100 types of cancer. They can start in different types of cells and grow and spread in different ways. Each cancer has its own characteristics, which is why no two cancers are exactly the same. Cancers can grow quickly or develop slowly over time. Some cancers form tumours, or lumps, while others do not. Some cancers can be controlled with medicine, while others cannot. Some types of cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, which is called metastasis. Cancer cells develop when abnormal genes that control how cells grow and reproduce become damaged or lost. Genes are long strings of chemical messages that tell cells what to do. Most genes are in the cell nucleus, which is located inside the centre of most cells. There are many ways in which genes can be changed to produce cancer. Some genetic mutations are inherited, while other cancer-causing genes can be triggered by things that happen in the body. For example, smoking and sun exposure can cause changes to genes that increase a person’s chance of developing cancer. There are some cancers that only affect cells in a particular part of the body, such as lung cancer or breast cancer. Other cancers can spread to tissues throughout the body, including blood vessels and nerves. This can cause new cancers to form in other parts of the body or make existing cancers more serious. In most cases, cancers that are caught early (when they are small in size or when they have few cells) are curable. This is why it is important to see a doctor if you have any signs or symptoms of cancer, such as a lump or bleeding. Improvements in cancer detection, better treatments and a reduction in tobacco use have all contributed to a year-on-year decrease in the number of people dying from cancer. However, there are still some cancers that are not preventable and they can cause serious illness and death. This information is adapted from the National Cancer Institute of the United States. This article was updated in 2021. It was originally published in 2015.Cancer is a complex disease that causes abnormal growth of cancerous cells in the body. It can be found in any type of tissue and can spread to other areas of the body if it is not treated promptly. It can be hard to understand, but having accurate cancer information will help patients and their families cope with the disease. There are more than 200 different types of cancer, which vary by the kind of cell they start in, how fast they grow and what they do to the body’s other cells. Some cancers form solid tumours, while others are liquid tumours that build up in the blood and bone marrow. Cancers in the blood and bone marrow are called leukemias or lymphomas. They do not usually form solid tumours, but they can be seen on laboratory tests.