What is Cancer ?

Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. 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 .Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body 

through the blood and  lymph systems.

Cancer is many disease and not just one disease. There are more than 100 different types of cancer known in the world of medicine. 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, those that attack the skin are called skin cancer just like that.

Cancer types can be grouped into more diverse  categories. They include:

• Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
• Sarcoma - cancer which begins in the bones, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
• Leukemia - cancer that develops  in the 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 attack  the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

How does cancer Begin ?

All cancers begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. To get a clearer picture of this , you would have to understand how normal cells develop into cancer cells and  begin to attack the body.The body is made up of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells.

Sometimes , however , this orderly process of cell division becomes affected and 'goes against its own rules'. The DNA of these cells become affected and the cells do not die when they are supposed to . This results in the formation of Tumors which are also seen as a mutation or  an abnormal case of cell reproduction.

 Once this occurs , we say there is a cancerous growth in the patient.