Cancer

• Malignant tumor - an abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth that invades tissues and spreads to other parts of the body
• Benign tumour - an abnormal cell growth that does not spread to other parts of the body
• Benign

  • not cancerous
  • grows until there is no room
  • does not invade other tissues
  • can cause pressure or damage to an organ
• Malignant

  • cancerous
  • tumour will split up, resulting in cells being carried into the bloodstream
  • can travel to and stay in another organ, causing secondary tumours
  • cancer cells divide more rapidly and have longer life span in comparison to normal cells
• Lifestyle risk factor for cancer:

  • Smoking - (lung, mouth, bowel, stomach and cervical cancer)
  • Obesity - (bowel, liver and kidney cancer)
  • UV light - (skin cancer)
  • Viral infection - (liver cancer from hepatitis B and C, cervical cancer from HPV)
  • Genetics can increase chances of getting cancer