Cancer

• Cancer is a non-communicable disease. The cells in your body divide on a regular basis following a set sequence known as the cell cycle. A tumour forms when cells divide in an abnormal, uncontrolled way. A tumour is therefore a mass of abnormally growing cells
• Benign tumours

  • They are growths of abnormal cells contained in one place
  • Do not invade other parts of the body but grow very large very quickly
  • This can put pressure or damage organs which can be life-threatening, for example, near the brain
• Malignant tumours:

  • Contain cells which can spread around the body
  • Often referred to as cancer
  • It can split and release clumps of cells which can spread through the circulatory or lymphatic system
  • Carried to different organs where they may carry on to divide and form secondary tumours
  • If untreated, the tumours can disrupt normal tissues and kill the person
• Causes of cancer:

  • Genes inherited from parents, breast or ovarian cancer
  • Exposure to carcinogens - chemicals which cause mutations
  • Ionising radiation - UV light and X-rays can cause melanomas in the skin
  • Virus infection - HPV can cause cervical cancer
  • Obesity
• Treating cancer:

  • Radiotherapy - cancer cells destroyed by targeted radiation
  • Chemotherapy - cancer cells destroyed by chemicals