What is cancer?

Cancer happens because something has gone ‘wrong’ in a cell so that it divides and behaves in an uncontrolled way.  We are made up of lots of different types of cells.  Each cell contains information (in the genes) about the type of cell it is (e.g. hair, muscle, blood), what its job is, when to grow and divide, as well as when to stop and ‘self destruct’. Cells are all very controlled and orderly.

When a cancer develops the cell is not dividing and growing as it should. Because of this, a lump or a tumour develops; if it is a cancer of a blood cell, lots of new blood cells are made which aren’t able to do their job.

We don’t know what causes most cancers, but we do know that it is much more common in old people than young people. We also know that smoking as well as heavy exposure to sunlight increases the chance of developing some types of cancer.

Although we use the one word for it, there are over 200 different types of cancer. These different types behave, are diagnosed and are treated differently.

Cancer is mainly treated with either surgery, chemotherapy (drug treatment) or radiotherapy (x-ray treatment) or a combination of these.

To find out more about cancer, its causes, and how it is treated see http://www.click4tic.org.uk/understandit/Ivegotwhat