Cancer

• What is cancer caused by?

  Uncontrolled cell growth and division
• What is a tumour?

  A mass of cells
• Are all tumours cancerous?

  No
• What are the two types of tumour?

  Benign and malignant
• What is a benign tumour?

  A tumour which grows until it runs out of room and cannot invade other tissues
• Are benign tumours usually dangerous or cancerous?

  No
• What is a malignant tumour?

  A tumour which grows and spreads to other tissues by breaking off and travelling in the bloodstream
• Are malignant tumours possibly cancerous?

  Yes
• What risk factors increase the risk of some types of cancer?

  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • UV exposure
  • Viral infection
• What types of cancer does smoking cause?

  Mainly lung cancer, but also cancer of the mouth, bowel, stomach and cervical cancer
• What types of cancer can obesity cause?

  Bowel, liver and kidney cancer
• What types of cancer does UV exposure cause?

  Skin cancer
• What viruses can cause cancer?

  Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C which can cause liver cancer
• How can genetics cause cancer?

  Faulty genes can be inherited making you more susceptible to cancer
• What gene has a chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer?

  BRCA genes