What is cancer?

Cancer begins when cells grow and divide uncontrollably. Normally, cells only divide to form new cells when the body needs them, and the body destroys old cells that are no longer functioning properly. Mutations in cell DNA can cause cells to grow and divide uncontrollably, or may prevent old cells from dying when necessary. The reasons these mutations occur are not known, but it is known that the mutations can either be inherited or acquired during life.

When extra cells accumulate and form a mass, it is called a tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors arise when abnormal cells accumulate, but do not possess the ability to invade other tissues and organs. This is why benign tumors are not cancerous. However, they can cause health problems by placing pressure on nearby organs, blood vessels, or nerves.

Malignant tumors, often referred to as cancer, are abnormal cells that have the ability to invade other tissues and organs. When cancer cells metastasize, or break away from the original cancer site (primary tumor), new tumors can form in other parts of the body.

What we think of as "Cancer" is actually a group of more than one hundred separate diseases. These diseases are all characterized by an abnormal and unregulated growth of cells. This growth destroys surrounding body tissues and may spread to other parts of the body in a process that is known as metastasis.

Cancer can develop anywhere in the body, and at any age. Unlike infectious diseases such as AIDS, the flu (influenza), or tuberculosis, cancer is not contagious - cancer is usually caused by genetic damage that happens inside an individual cell. Cells affected by cancer are called malignant cells. Malignant cells are different from normal cells in the body in that they divide (in most cases) much more rapidly than they should.  See also: http://www.dentalcomfortzone.com/template.php?aid=171.

Cancer, also called malignancy or neoplasm, develops when cells in a specific part of the body begin to grow out of control. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells do not stop reproducing after they have doubled 50-60 times.

Cancer cells develop because of damage to DNA (the material inside the nucleus of a cell that carries genetic information). DNA occurs in most cells of the body and is the blueprint for how the body grows, functions, and stays healthy. Usually, when DNA becomes damaged, the body is able to repair it. In cancer cells, the damaged DNA is not able to be repaired. Individuals can inherit damaged DNA, such as with inherited cancers. More often, though, an individual's DNA becomes damaged by exposure to something in the environment, such as smoking or radiation from the sun.

The immune system, which is made up of special cells, proteins, tissues, and organs, defends individuals against invasion by pathogens (disease-causing agents), such as cancer cells, bacteria, and viruses. The differences between cancer cells and normal cells may not be easily detected, and the immune system may not always recognize cancer cells as pathogens. Most healthy individuals have immune systems that can keep up with the pathogens, but sometimes problems with the immune system can lead to illness and infection.

Cancer cells sometimes travel through the blood or lymphatic system to other parts of the body. The cancerous cells begin to grow and replace normal tissue in a process called metastasis. Regardless of where cancer may spread, it is always named for the place it began. For instance, colon cancer that spreads to the liver is still called colon cancer, not liver cancer.

Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Treatment plans may include surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. The most common cancers are breast cancer, lung cancer, bowel or colon cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, stomach cancer, melanoma, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, and ovarian cancer.

You should read product labels, and discuss all therapies with a qualified healthcare provider. Natural Standard information does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Cancer is the growth and spread of abnormal cells. Normal cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During growth and development, they divide more rapidly, but in adults they divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells and to repair injuries. Cancer cells, however, do not behave like normal cells. They continue to grow and divide, forming masses of abnormal cells, called tumors. These masses can compress normal cells and interfere with their ability to function.

Not all tumors are cancerous, but if they do become cancerous, or malignant, cells can break off and travel through the bloodstream or the lymph system to other areas of the body. This is called metastasis, and once this happens, cancer is no longer curable. Cancer is named after the part of the body where it began.

Take the RealAge Test!