CANCER facts
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All cancers begin in living cells which make up blood and other tissues.
As cells age, they die and are replaced by new cells. Sometimes, this normal process goes astray; new cells keep forming when the body does not require them and old cells do not die when they should. The mass of extra cells forms a growth or tumor. There are two types of tumors - benign or malignant.
Benign tumors are not cancer, can often be removed and mostly do not come back. Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body and are rarely life threatening. Malignant tumors are cancer. Cells from malignant tumors divide without control and can invade and destroy the tissue around them. Cells also break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This process, called metastasis, is how cancer spreads from the original (primary) tumor to form new (secondary) tumors in other parts of the body.
Find out more. Please click on the following links for more information on symptoms, research, treatment and other aspects of cancer.
Amercan Institute for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania
AMC Cancer Research Center
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