What exactly is cancer.?!


Question: What exactly is cancer!.!?
Its a hot button disease per say and we all know it can be terminal but what exactly is going on inside the human body when it is afflicted with the disease!. Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases characterized by the uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells!. These cells form a lump or mass called a tumor!. Some cancers, however, such as blood cancers, do not form tumors!. Tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous)!. Benign tumors may grow, but they do not spread to other parts of the body and are usually not life threatening!. Malignant tumors grow and invade other tissues in the body!.

Sometimes cancer will spread to the lymph nodes!. A lymph node is a tiny, bean-shaped organ that filters the flow of lymph, the clear fluid that plays a role in the body's immune system!. Lymph nodes are located in clusters in different parts of the body, such as the neck, groin area, and under the arms!. Cells from malignant tumors can also break away and travel to other parts of the body, where they can continue to grow!. This process is called metastasis!. Metastatic cancer is named for the part of the body where it started!. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lungs, it is called metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer!.

Cancer can begin almost anywhere in the body!. Tumors are named for the type of cell where the cancer started!. For example, carcinomas begin in the skin or tissue that covers the surface of internal organs and glands!. Sarcomas begin in the connective tissue, such as muscle, fat, cartilage, or bone!.

Following heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States!. In 2008, more than 1!.4 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed and about 566,000 cancer deaths will occur in the United States!. The overall survival rate for all types of cancer is 66%!. Today there are approximately 10!.8 million cancer survivors in the United States!.

The most common types of cancer are basal and squamous cell skin cancers and lung, prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers!.

The five most common causes of death from cancer in the United States are lung, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers!. In fact, lung cancer remains the leading cause of death from cancer and will account for about 162,000 deaths in 2008!.
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Cancer happens when something causes normal cells to begin reproducing abnormally!. That "something" may be genetic predisposition, or it can be from an outside influence like pollution, radiation, or constant irritants, like with smoking!.

One cell has damaged DNA, and that cell reproduces itself spontaneously, and usually requires an additional blood supply so new vessels form to feed the tumor!. Once enough of the cells have developed, the unhealthy tissue usually begins causing symptoms in the person!. Depending where the cancerous tissue is located, it can multiply and spread quickly causing death (like in pancreatic cancer), or it can stay localized and be treated with surgical removal, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of any of those - like with many skin cancers!. Www@Answer-Health@Com

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multiplying cells that cannot be stopped without treatment, usually associated with tumors!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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