CANCER

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate  limited growth are generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things

occur:

a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using

the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a

process called invasion that cell manages to divide and grow,

making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called

angiogenesis.When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts

of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy

tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself

is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition

that is very difficult to treat.

In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people

in the world. Physicians and researchers who specialize in the

study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer are called oncologists.

What causes cancer?

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably

grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly

path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is

called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins

to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience

programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This

leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.