Cancer

• A tumor is an abnormal mass of cells that forms when a group of cells undergo uncontrolled growth and division.
• There are two different types of tumors: benign and malignant.
• Benign tumors are contained within one area, usually within a membrane, and are not normally dangerous, so they are not considered cancer.
• Malignant tumors do not stay in one place and are able to invade other tissues and spread to different parts of the body, where they can form new secondary tumors, making them far more dangerous and potentially fatal, which is why they are classified as cancer.
• Smoking has been linked to a range of cancers including lung, mouth, stomach, and cervical cancer.
• Obesity has been linked to multiple cancers including bowel, liver, and kidney cancer.
• Ultraviolet light exposure, which we get from both the sun and from sunbeds, is strongly linked to skin cancer because the UV radiation can damage our skin cells.
• Drinking alcohol is also linked to an increased risk of liver cancer.
• Risk factors for cancer aren't always lifestyle choices, sometimes it's the genes that we inherit from our parents that make us more susceptible to certain cancers, for example, the brca genes are linked to developing breast and ovarian cancer.