What is Cancer?
Cancer is a group of diseases that can develop in almost any organ or tissue in the body. The different types of cancer vary in how they grow and spread, but they all start when some cells grow abnormally and out of control.
Cells are the basic building blocks of tissues and organs, and they make new cells as old ones die. This process, called cell division, happens millions of times a day in our bodies. Cancer starts when gene mutations disrupt this orderly process. The faulty genes give the cells incorrect instructions about when to divide and how to mature. As a result, the cells don’t die when they should and continue growing out of control. When enough cells grow this way, they can form a mass of tissue that doctors call a tumour. Cancer can also grow into blood vessels and spread to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis.
There are over 100 different kinds of cancer, and each has its own name based on the type of cells in which it starts. Some cancers are divided into further groups based on what part of the body they grow in, or how fast they grow. Others are divided into stages, describing how far the cancer has progressed. Stage IV cancers are those that have spread to other parts of the body, and are the most advanced types of cancer.
Some kinds of cancer are more common than others. The most common cancers in Australia are lung, bowel and breast cancer. Cancer is caused by a combination of genetic changes and things that affect how our cells grow and divide, such as being exposed to certain substances, like tobacco smoke or UV rays from sunlight.
When it comes to genes, each person has a set of genes that are passed down from their parents. These genes help to determine if a person is at risk of developing a disease like cancer. But a person’s genes can get mutated by chance or because of something they are exposed to, such as radiation or chemicals found in some workplaces. Mutations can also be inherited from one or both parents and make a person more likely to develop a disease, such as cancer, even if they have no other family history of that disease.
A diagnosis of cancer can be a very confronting time for people and their families. Some of the language that is used in the media can inappropriately label or stigmatise people living with cancer and may misinform audiences. To improve accuracy, Cancer Institute NSW recommends that journalists familiarise themselves with the latest research in cancer communication and that they use only reliable sources when interviewing physicians. This can ensure that they present accurate information about cancer and the many experiences of people living with it. It can also help them to avoid unintentionally causing distress or offence to their audiences.
Cancer is a group of diseases that can develop in almost any organ or tissue in the body. The different types of cancer vary in how they grow and spread, but they all start when some cells grow abnormally and out of control. Cells are the basic building blocks of tissues and organs, and they make new cells as old ones die. This process, called cell division, happens millions of times a day in our bodies. Cancer starts when gene mutations disrupt this orderly process. The faulty genes give the cells incorrect instructions about when to divide and how to mature. As a result, the cells don’t die when they should and continue growing out of control. When enough cells grow this way, they can form a mass of tissue that doctors call a tumour. Cancer can also grow into blood vessels and spread to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis. There are over 100 different kinds of cancer, and each has its own name based on the type of cells in which it starts. Some cancers are divided into further groups based on what part of the body they grow in, or how fast they grow. Others are divided into stages, describing how far the cancer has progressed. Stage IV cancers are those that have spread to other parts of the body, and are the most advanced types of cancer. Some kinds of cancer are more common than others. The most common cancers in Australia are lung, bowel and breast cancer. Cancer is caused by a combination of genetic changes and things that affect how our cells grow and divide, such as being exposed to certain substances, like tobacco smoke or UV rays from sunlight. When it comes to genes, each person has a set of genes that are passed down from their parents. These genes help to determine if a person is at risk of developing a disease like cancer. But a person’s genes can get mutated by chance or because of something they are exposed to, such as radiation or chemicals found in some workplaces. Mutations can also be inherited from one or both parents and make a person more likely to develop a disease, such as cancer, even if they have no other family history of that disease. A diagnosis of cancer can be a very confronting time for people and their families. Some of the language that is used in the media can inappropriately label or stigmatise people living with cancer and may misinform audiences. To improve accuracy, Cancer Institute NSW recommends that journalists familiarise themselves with the latest research in cancer communication and that they use only reliable sources when interviewing physicians. This can ensure that they present accurate information about cancer and the many experiences of people living with it. It can also help them to avoid unintentionally causing distress or offence to their audiences.