Cancer

What is cancer?

   According to the American Cancer Society, Cancer is: "a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start - for example, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer; cancer that begins in basal cells in the skin is called basal cell carcinoma." It then proceeds to explain different types of cancer, which are:

Cancer types can be grouped into broader categories. The main categories of cancer include:
Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.

Sarcoma - cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.

Leukemia - cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.

Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.

Central nervous system cancers - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

   In addition, there are different types of tumors. "Benign" means that although the cancerous tumor is not good, it can be fixed. "Malignant" means that the cancer is dangerous and proceeds to cover different parts of the body intstead of just the affected original area where the tumor is.
   To understand what cancer is in simpler terms, let us take a look at what KidsHealth.com had to say about cancer. Cancer begins in the cells of a human's body. "Cancer happens when cells that are not normal grow and spread very fast. Normal body cells grow and divide and know to stop growing. Over time, they also die. Unlike these normal cells, cancer cells just continue to grow and divide out of control and don't die when they're supposed to."