Cancer

• Cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell growth and division
• This uncontrolled growth and division is a result of changes that occur to the cells and results in the formation of a tumour (a mass of cells). Not all tumours are cancerous. They can be benign or malignant
• Benign - This is where the tumour grows until there's no more room. The tumour stays in one place (usually within a membrane) rather than invading other tissues in the body. This type isn't normally dangerous, and the tumour isn't cancerous
• Malignant - This is where the tumour grows and spreads to neighbouring healthy tissues. Cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body by travelling in the bloodstream. The malignant cells then invade healthy tissues elsewhere in the body and form secondary tumours. Malignant tumours are dangerous and can be fatal - they are cancers
• Risk factors can increase the chance of some cancers
• Anyone can develop cancer. Having risk factors doesn't mean that you'll definitely get cancer. It just means that you're at an increased risk of developing the disease
• Cancer survival rates have increased due to medical advances such as improved treatment, being able to diagnose cancer earlier and increased screening for the disease
• Risk factors can be associated with lifestyle
• Smoking - It's a well known fact that smoking is linked to lung cancer, but research has also linked it to other types of cancer, including mouth, bowel, stomach and cervical cancer
• Obesity - Obesity has been linked to many different cancers, including bowel, liver and kidney cancer. It's the second biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking
• UV exposure - People who are often exposed to UV radiation from the Sun have an increased chance of developing skin cancer. People who live in sunny climates and people who spend a lot of time outside are at higher risk of the disease. People who frequently use sun beds are also putting themselves at higher risk of developing skin cancer
• Viral infection - Infection with some viruses has been shown to increase the chances of developing certain types of cancer. E.g. infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses can increase the risk of developing liver cancer. The likelihood of becoming infected with these viruses sometimes depends on lifestyle - e.g. they can be spread between people through unprotected sex or sharing needles
• Risk factors can also be associated with genetics
• Sometimes you can inherit faulty genes that make you more susceptable to cancer
• Mutations (changes) in the BRCA genes have been linked to an increased likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancer