What is Cancer?
Cancer is the name given to a group of diseases that start in cells and grow out of control, forming masses or tumours. It can affect any tissue, and can spread to other parts of the body via the blood or lymphatic system. Cancer is one of the world’s most common diseases, and there are many different kinds.
During normal development, cells develop and mature in a controlled way. But if abnormal cells grow and multiply too quickly, they can outgrow and overtake the surrounding healthy cells. These rogue cells may also break away from the tumour mass and invade neighbouring tissues or organs, which is known as metastasis.
The term cancer is also used for a number of other diseases, including sarcoma, leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, and neuroblastoma. Each type of cancer has its own unique characteristics and behaviours.
Cancer is a multistep process that begins with a genetic mutation in a single cell that leads to its abnormal proliferation. The resulting tumour grows, and over time, additional mutations occur in the cancer cells within the tumor. These mutations increase the cancer cells’ ability to proliferate and to survive, and they also provide a selective advantage for these cells. The surviving mutant cells are able to continue growing and reproducing, and they eventually form a clone of specialised cancer cells.
When tumours grow too large to be treated surgically, they can begin to invade nearby tissues or lymph nodes. The cancer cells may also travel through the blood or lymphatic system to reach other parts of the body, where they can form new tumours and cause symptoms in other areas.
There are many ways to treat cancer. Your doctor will recommend a treatment that is best suited to the type and stage of your cancer. This treatment will usually include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other medicines.
Surgery is the main option for most cancers, except for some types of blood cancer. It involves specialized cancer surgeons trying to remove all or most of a tumour. In addition, it can be useful for determining whether or not the cancer has spread beyond the original site (staging).
Chemotherapy is a powerful medicine that kills fast-growing cancer cells. But it cannot kill all cancer cells, so it is often paired with surgery or other treatments. New medicines called targeted therapies are aimed at the parts of cancer cells that make them different from healthy cells. They can block the supply of oxygen to tumours, turn off signals that cancer cells use to grow, or help your immune system fight them. This is a rapidly evolving area of cancer research.
Cancer is the name given to a group of diseases that start in cells and grow out of control, forming masses or tumours. It can affect any tissue, and can spread to other parts of the body via the blood or lymphatic system. Cancer is one of the world’s most common diseases, and there are many different kinds. During normal development, cells develop and mature in a controlled way. But if abnormal cells grow and multiply too quickly, they can outgrow and overtake the surrounding healthy cells. These rogue cells may also break away from the tumour mass and invade neighbouring tissues or organs, which is known as metastasis. The term cancer is also used for a number of other diseases, including sarcoma, leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, and neuroblastoma. Each type of cancer has its own unique characteristics and behaviours. Cancer is a multistep process that begins with a genetic mutation in a single cell that leads to its abnormal proliferation. The resulting tumour grows, and over time, additional mutations occur in the cancer cells within the tumor. These mutations increase the cancer cells’ ability to proliferate and to survive, and they also provide a selective advantage for these cells. The surviving mutant cells are able to continue growing and reproducing, and they eventually form a clone of specialised cancer cells. When tumours grow too large to be treated surgically, they can begin to invade nearby tissues or lymph nodes. The cancer cells may also travel through the blood or lymphatic system to reach other parts of the body, where they can form new tumours and cause symptoms in other areas. There are many ways to treat cancer. Your doctor will recommend a treatment that is best suited to the type and stage of your cancer. This treatment will usually include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other medicines. Surgery is the main option for most cancers, except for some types of blood cancer. It involves specialized cancer surgeons trying to remove all or most of a tumour. In addition, it can be useful for determining whether or not the cancer has spread beyond the original site (staging). Chemotherapy is a powerful medicine that kills fast-growing cancer cells. But it cannot kill all cancer cells, so it is often paired with surgery or other treatments. New medicines called targeted therapies are aimed at the parts of cancer cells that make them different from healthy cells. They can block the supply of oxygen to tumours, turn off signals that cancer cells use to grow, or help your immune system fight them. This is a rapidly evolving area of cancer research.