Cancer is not a disease but rather many diseases. In fact, there are 100 different types of cancer. All cancers begin in cells. Cells are the building blocks that make body tissues. To better understand what is cancer, you need to know how normal cells become cancerous.
The body is made of many cell types. These cells grow and divide to produce new cells as the body needs. When body cells age, they die and are replaced by new cells.
But sometimes this common process of cell duplication goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need. When this happens, old cells die when they shouldn’t. These cells are not necessary and can form a mass of tissue. This mass of tissue is called a tumor. Not all tumors are cancerous. Tumors can be benign or malignant.
Cancer is a tissue growth caused by the continuing proliferation of abnormal cells capable of invasion and destruction of other tissues.
The cancer, which may originate from any type of cell in any tissue, not a single disease but a group of diseases that are classified according to the tissue and cell of origin. There are several hundred different ways, with three main subtypes of sarcomas derived connective tissue such as bone, cartilage, nerves, blood vessels, muscle and adipose tissue. Carcinomas derived from epithelial tissues such as skin or epithelia that line body cavities and organs, and glandular tissues of the breast and prostate. Carcinomas include some of the most common Cancer Syndrome. Carcinomas of similar structure to the skin are called squamous cell carcinomas.
Those who have a glandular structure are called adenocarcinomas. In the third subtype are leukemias and lymphomas, including cancers of tissues forming blood cells. Cause swollen lymph nodes, invasion of the spleen and bone marrow, and overproduction of immature white cells.
Cancer is not a contagious disease. The usual treatment modalities include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Currently studying the usefulness of immunotherapy and biological response modulation.
