Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer can start in almost any part of the body and can spread from its original site to other parts of the body. In many types of cancer, the abnormal cells first form a clump or mass. This is called a malignant tumor. The word malignant means “life-threatening”. Not all tumors are cancerous. Some do not spread and do not cause tissue damage. Tumors like these are called benign tumors. The word “benign” means harmless or non-life-threatening.

There are many different kinds of cancer. Cancer is generally referred to by the site in the body where it begins, e.g. a malignant tumor in the breast is called “breast cancer”, and one in the lungs is called “lung cancer”. The actual nature of the tumor or the abnormal cells can be different even in the same body organ. There are several different types of breast cancer, for example. Several different strains of a virus cause cervical cancer.

Different cancers progress in different ways. One type of skin cancer, called basal cell carcinoma, very rarely spreads to any other organ – it just spreads to different parts of the skin. Melanoma is another skin cancer that is much more deadly – it usually spreads to other parts of the body and is often eventually fatal. So, there is no single “cancer”. There are many types of growths of uncontrolled abnormal cells. How well we can treat these growths depend on the characteristics of the particular type of cancer and how soon it is discovered. Skin cancer, which is strongly related to sun exposure can be reduced or prevented by using sun blocks.

Researchers are working hard to develop new ways of preventing cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by a family of viruses (called HPV viruses), so scientists have recently developed the very first vaccine against cancer! They hope to develop other cancer vaccines to work against other cancers associated with different viruses. They are also working on ways to train the body’s own immune system to prevent cancer or to fight existing cancers better. With luck and with good research, the time may come when the word “cancer” is no longer a cause of fear and dread, but rather the name of a large group of totally curable diseases. In the meanwhile, early detection and state-of-the-art care can increase the numbers of those cured of their cancers, and add to the quality and quantity of life for those with no cure yet!

To find out more information about cancer in general, visit the links listed below.

• http://www.cancer.gov/
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001289.htm
• http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2580

To find out information about specific kinds of cancers, search under that cancer’s name. This site includes brief summaries about three common kinds of cancer below, together with links to more detailed information about those specific cancers. Simply go to these links on the Ontario County site:

• Breast Cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colorectal cancer
  

January, 2010