Cancer and Disease

• Benign tumor


  Growth of abnormal cells which are found in one area, contained within a membrane, do not invade or spread to other parts of the body
• Malignant tumor


  Malignant cells invade neighboring tissues, move into the bloodstream, spread to different parts of the body and form new tumors (secondary tumors)
• Malignant tumor cells are classed as a cancer
• Risk factors for developing cancer

  • Genetic (e.g. certain types of breast cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of the large intestine)
  • Lifestyle (e.g. lung cancer linked to smoking, skin cancer linked to UV exposure, mouth and throat cancer linked to alcohol)
  • Environmental (e.g. radon, a radioactive gas that increases risk of lung cancer)
• Radon releases ionizing radiation that damages DNA in cells, causing uncontrolled cell division leading to cancer
• Communicable diseases


  Diseases that can be spread from person to person
• Non-communicable diseases


  Diseases that cannot be passed from person to person
• Diseases can cause ill health, which is defined as the state of physical and mental well-being
• Ill health can be caused by communicable and non-communicable diseases, poor diet, high levels of stress, and other life situations
• People with a defective immune system

  Are much more likely to suffer from infectious diseases
• Infection with HPV


  Can cause cervical cancer
• Infection with a pathogen


  Can trigger an allergy such as asthma or dermatitis
• Physical illness like arthritis


  Can trigger a mental illness like depression
• Non-communicable diseases


  Diseases that cannot be passed from person to person and are not caused by pathogens
• Non-communicable diseases are the biggest cause of death in the UK, massively outweighing infectious diseases
• Cardiovascular diseases


  • Include coronary heart disease
  • Account for over a quarter of all deaths in the UK
• Diet high in fat and low in vegetables

  Increases levels of certain types of cholesterol in the blood, increasing the rate that fatty materials build up in the arteries
• Diet high in salt

  Increases blood pressure, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
• Smoking


  Increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Regular exercise


  Decreases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
• Smoking


  Increases the risk of lung cancer, which is the single greatest cause of death by cancer in the UK
• Carcinogens


  Chemicals in cigarette smoke that can trigger cancer
• Smoking


  Increases the risk of other lung diseases such as emphysema
• Smoking when pregnant


  Increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and the baby being born with a low body mass
• Drinking alcohol when pregnant


  Can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, leading to learning difficulties and other mental or physical problems in the child
• Excessive alcohol consumption


  Increases the risk of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, addiction, and memory loss
• Type 2 diabetes


  • People with this condition struggle to control their blood glucose levels
  • Can lead to blindness or require the amputation of a limb
• Obesity


  Increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• Drinking excess alcohol


  Can lead to obesity, which then increases the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Some risk factors are not linked to lifestyle, such as radon, a radioactive gas that increases the risk of lung cancer and is found in certain parts of the UK