Cancer Starts When Normal Cells Start to Grow Out of Control
Cancer is a group of diseases that starts when normal cells start to grow and spread out of control. The disease happens when the genes that make up your DNA start to go haywire and do things they shouldn’t, like dividing too fast or not dying when they should. These mutations can cause more and more cells to grow out of control until they become a large mass called a tumour. Cancer can also break away from the original tumour and spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic system. When this happens, it’s called metastasis.
Cancer can affect every part of the body, but most often occurs in the lungs, breasts, stomach, prostate and bladder. It can be very difficult to treat, but there are ways to prevent it. The best defence against cancer is a healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking and eating a balanced diet that’s low in fat, salt and added sugar.
Cells in your body are made up of trillions of cells. Over the course of your life, these cells normally grow and divide to produce new ones that can replace older or damaged cells. When they’re done growing and dividing, they die. But if a cell goes haywire and doesn’t die, it keeps dividing without stopping, producing more abnormal cells. As these abnormal cells multiply, they can crowd out normal cells and destroy the tissue around them. Over time, this can grow into a lump of tissue known as a tumour.
There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each type grows in a slightly different way. But all cancers have one thing in common: they start when normal cells begin to grow and spread out of control.
The human body has a complex set of controls that stop cells from growing on their own. These are called cellular growth and division controls. For example, the body sends signals to cells telling them to divide, and it has other signals that tell cells to stop dividing. The genes that produce these growth signals are called proto-oncogenes, and the genes that make up the signals to stop dividing are called tumor suppressor genes. But if these genes get mutated, the cell won’t obey these instructions.
The mutations in a cancerous cell that causes it to start dividing and spreading are called oncogenic changes. These changes may be caused by viruses, chemicals or radiation. They can also be hereditary, meaning they’re inherited from one or both parents. They can also be caused by environmental factors, such as pollution or certain drugs. Whatever the cause of your cancer, there are treatments available to stop it from spreading and to make you feel better. Some are called local treatments because they treat only a specific area of your body, such as surgery or radiation therapy. Others, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, are called systemic treatments because they travel through the body to fight your cancer.
Cancer is a group of diseases that starts when normal cells start to grow and spread out of control. The disease happens when the genes that make up your DNA start to go haywire and do things they shouldn’t, like dividing too fast or not dying when they should. These mutations can cause more and more cells to grow out of control until they become a large mass called a tumour. Cancer can also break away from the original tumour and spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic system. When this happens, it’s called metastasis. Cancer can affect every part of the body, but most often occurs in the lungs, breasts, stomach, prostate and bladder. It can be very difficult to treat, but there are ways to prevent it. The best defence against cancer is a healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking and eating a balanced diet that’s low in fat, salt and added sugar. Cells in your body are made up of trillions of cells. Over the course of your life, these cells normally grow and divide to produce new ones that can replace older or damaged cells. When they’re done growing and dividing, they die. But if a cell goes haywire and doesn’t die, it keeps dividing without stopping, producing more abnormal cells. As these abnormal cells multiply, they can crowd out normal cells and destroy the tissue around them. Over time, this can grow into a lump of tissue known as a tumour. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each type grows in a slightly different way. But all cancers have one thing in common: they start when normal cells begin to grow and spread out of control. The human body has a complex set of controls that stop cells from growing on their own. These are called cellular growth and division controls. For example, the body sends signals to cells telling them to divide, and it has other signals that tell cells to stop dividing. The genes that produce these growth signals are called proto-oncogenes, and the genes that make up the signals to stop dividing are called tumor suppressor genes. But if these genes get mutated, the cell won’t obey these instructions. The mutations in a cancerous cell that causes it to start dividing and spreading are called oncogenic changes. These changes may be caused by viruses, chemicals or radiation. They can also be hereditary, meaning they’re inherited from one or both parents. They can also be caused by environmental factors, such as pollution or certain drugs. Whatever the cause of your cancer, there are treatments available to stop it from spreading and to make you feel better. Some are called local treatments because they treat only a specific area of your body, such as surgery or radiation therapy. Others, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, are called systemic treatments because they travel through the body to fight your cancer.