Cancer develops when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all start because of out-of-control growth of abnormal cells.
Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person's life, normal cells divide more rapidly until the person becomes an adult. After that, cells in most parts of the body divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells and to repair injuries.
Because cancer cells continue to grow and divide, they are different from normal cells. Instead of dying, they outlive normal cells and continue to form new abnormal cells.
Cancer cells often travel to other parts of the body where they begin to grow and replace normal tissue. This process, called metastasis, occurs as the cancer cells get into the bloodstream or lymph vessels of our body. When cells from a cancer like breast cancer spread to another organ like the liver, the cancer is still called breast cancer, not liver cancer.
Cancer cells develop because of damage to DNA. This substance is in every cell and directs all its activities. Most of the time when DNA becomes damaged the body is able to repair it. In cancer cells, the damaged DNA is not repaired. People can inherit damaged DNA, which accounts for inherited cancers. Many times though, a person’s DNA becomes damaged by exposure to something in the environment, like smoking.
Cancer usually forms as a tumor. Some cancers, like leukemia, do not form tumors. Instead, these cancer cells involve the blood and blood-forming organs, and circulate through other tissues where they grow.
Not all tumors are cancerous. Benign (noncancerous) tumors do not spread to other parts of the body (metastasize) and, with very rare exceptions, are not life-threatening.
Different types of cancer can behave very differently. For example, lung cancer and breast cancer are very different diseases. They grow at different rates and respond to different treatments. That is why people with cancer need treatment that is aimed at their particular kind cancer.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. The risk of developing most types of cancer can be reduced by changes in a person's lifestyle, for example, by quitting smoking and eating a better diet. The sooner a cancer is found and treatment begins, the better are the chances for living for many years.
2006-07-14 16:55:44
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answer #1
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answered by purple 6
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Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis. Metastasis is defined as the stage in which cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Cancer may affect people at all ages, but risk tends to increase with age. It is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries.
2006-07-13 20:06:06
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answer #2
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answered by laclockiecelestialle 3
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Cancer- a general term which covers many malignant growths in many parts of the body. The growth is purposeless, parasitic, and flourishes at the expense of the human host. Characteristics are the tendency to cause local distruction, to spread by metastasis, to recur after removal, and to cause toxaemia. Carcinoma refers to malignant tumours of skin or mucus membrane, sarcoma to tumours of connective tissue.
2006-07-13 20:45:09
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answer #3
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answered by gangadharan nair 7
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Sorry to listen on your information. I hate to be the bearer of undesirable information yet you want the data, now to not be fluffed round. there is truly no treatment on your aunt at this aspect clinical care will in basic terms lengthen the inevitable and he or she ought to ascertain the position she needs the damaging consequences or to relish wat time she has left. I surely have not in any respect heard of anybody surviving as quickly by using the undeniable fact that's in the liver. I no you want to have desire yet in some unspecified time sooner or later you want to ascertain truth and face what's in the front of you without denial. i recognize i sound harsh yet I surely have lived it and no in basic terms too nicely. My Mum (who's 60) became clinically determined in ought to this 12 months with kidney maximum cancers. It became an undesirable wonder as she became so healthful and satisfied. even as it became clinically determined it had already spread to the liver and lung. She previous away sept 7. Your aunty's maximum cancers has already spread to 2 parts of her body, without clinical care it is going to proceed to spread and variety in different countless parts of her body. In my Mums case the tumours grew to grow to be so vast they protruded from her body. it travelled up her neck into her mind etc. It became the most undesirable difficulty to ascertain your beloved slip away. I favor your household each and every of the superb. xx
2016-10-14 11:04:23
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answer #4
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answered by tegtmeier 4
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Its rapidly growing cells caused by mutations in the DNA.
2006-07-13 20:05:53
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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group of rapidly growing cells in normal or abnormal location in the absence of any recognised stimulus
2006-07-13 22:37:52
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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One of the Zodiac Signs.....
2006-07-13 20:09:10
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answer #7
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answered by Mr. Sacamoco 3
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