Cancer Starts When Cells Go Wrong
Cancer is a name for many different diseases that start when cells in our bodies go wrong. Cells are the basic building blocks of tissues and organs, and they usually grow and multiply in a controlled way to keep the body healthy. Cancer occurs when abnormal cells keep growing and outnumber normal cells. These abnormal cells can then form a mass of tissue called a tumour. Cancer can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system. This process is called metastasis.
Scientists have found that many types of cancer develop because of changes (mutations) in genes. Mutations can happen when certain cells are damaged, such as by radiation or infection with a virus. Sometimes these mutated cells are not repaired properly or are not killed when they should be, which can cause too many abnormal cells to develop. The abnormal cells may also be able to grow and divide without control, crowding out normal cells in their area. Cancerous cells also have different ways of getting nutrients, which can help them grow faster than normal cells.
When abnormal cells grow and outnumber healthy ones, they can cause symptoms such as pain or a lump that doesn’t go away. Symptoms of cancer vary depending on where the cancer is, what type it is and how far it has spread.
Cancers can start in any of our body tissues. Most cancers begin in epithelial cells, which line our internal and external tissues. Cancer can also start in stem cells, which are simple cells that can turn into specialized cells as the body needs them. Cancer in these types of cells can be inherited, which means it comes from our parents. But most cancers are not inherited and occur because of random mutations in our genes.
Normally, the number of cells in each tissue is tightly controlled to ensure that we have enough specialised cells for growth and repair, and to replace old or dying cells. Cancer begins when genes in these cells change and tip the balance towards excessive cell growth.
Some cancers can spread when the mutated cells break off from their original site and travel to other areas of the body. This can happen when the cells are able to enter and push on nearby tissue or when they are able to move through the blood or lymph system and reach other sites in the body where they can form new tumours.
There are lots of things we can do to reduce our chances of developing cancer, such as eating well, exercising regularly, not smoking and avoiding too much sun exposure. We can also have screening tests to find cancer early when it is easier to treat. These screening tests can include physical examinations, X-rays, blood tests and ultrasound scans.
Cancer is a name for many different diseases that start when cells in our bodies go wrong. Cells are the basic building blocks of tissues and organs, and they usually grow and multiply in a controlled way to keep the body healthy. Cancer occurs when abnormal cells keep growing and outnumber normal cells. These abnormal cells can then form a mass of tissue called a tumour. Cancer can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system. This process is called metastasis. Scientists have found that many types of cancer develop because of changes (mutations) in genes. Mutations can happen when certain cells are damaged, such as by radiation or infection with a virus. Sometimes these mutated cells are not repaired properly or are not killed when they should be, which can cause too many abnormal cells to develop. The abnormal cells may also be able to grow and divide without control, crowding out normal cells in their area. Cancerous cells also have different ways of getting nutrients, which can help them grow faster than normal cells. When abnormal cells grow and outnumber healthy ones, they can cause symptoms such as pain or a lump that doesn’t go away. Symptoms of cancer vary depending on where the cancer is, what type it is and how far it has spread. Cancers can start in any of our body tissues. Most cancers begin in epithelial cells, which line our internal and external tissues. Cancer can also start in stem cells, which are simple cells that can turn into specialized cells as the body needs them. Cancer in these types of cells can be inherited, which means it comes from our parents. But most cancers are not inherited and occur because of random mutations in our genes. Normally, the number of cells in each tissue is tightly controlled to ensure that we have enough specialised cells for growth and repair, and to replace old or dying cells. Cancer begins when genes in these cells change and tip the balance towards excessive cell growth. Some cancers can spread when the mutated cells break off from their original site and travel to other areas of the body. This can happen when the cells are able to enter and push on nearby tissue or when they are able to move through the blood or lymph system and reach other sites in the body where they can form new tumours. There are lots of things we can do to reduce our chances of developing cancer, such as eating well, exercising regularly, not smoking and avoiding too much sun exposure. We can also have screening tests to find cancer early when it is easier to treat. These screening tests can include physical examinations, X-rays, blood tests and ultrasound scans.