CANCER EXPLAINED

What is cancer: Cancer is a genetic disease. It is caused by deviations in our genes which control the way our cells function. Cancer can onset almost in every part of the human body. Ιn all types of cancer there are some body cells that begin to continuously grow and divide spreading into surrounding tissues.

What can cause cancer? Heritage, damage to our DNA or/and different environmental exposures, such as chemicals, UV radiation can be factors that may trigger the disease.

The process: Typically, human cells grow and divide to form new cells according to the body’s needs and old cells gradually die. This process, however, is altered when cancer develops. As cells become abnormal, old or damaged cells tend to survive and new cells continue to form even if not needed. This nonstop process of cell division may form growths called tumors.

Forms of cancer: Most cancers produce solid tumors, which are basically masses of tissue. Some exceptions that do not form tumors are blood cancers, such as leukemia. What is important to understand is that each person’s cancer has a unique combination of genetic changes. That demands an individualized therapy for each case.

Metastasis: When a tumor is malignant, it means that it can spread into, or invade, adjacent tissues. Also, as these tumors grow, some cancer cells can travel through the blood or the lymph system reaching other parts of the body, forming new tumors.