Cancer combines a group of many related diseases. There are many forms of cancer but all of them involve out of control growth and spread of abnormal cells.

Normal cells divde, grow, and die in an orderly fashion. Until a person reaches the adult years, cells divide rapidly. After that, cells usually only divide to replace worn-out or dying cells, and to repair injuries.

However, cancer cells continue to grow and divide and can spread to other parts of the body. These cells accumulate to form tumours (lumps) that can compress, invade, and destroy normal tissue. If cells break awayfrom such tumours, the can spread thrugh the blood stream, or the lymph system, to other parts of the body. There, they can settle and form "colony" tumours.

In the new location, the cells continue to grow. The spread of a tumour is called metastasis.

When cancer spreads, it is named after it's original location. If it started as prostate cancer, but spread to the bones, it is still prostate cancer.

Leukemia is a special type of cancer becuase it doesn't usually form a tumour. The cancer cells involve the blood and blood-forming organs (bone marrow, lymphatic system, and spleen). When they travel like that, they can circulate through other tissues where they can accumulate.

Not all tumours are cancerous. Benign tumours do not metastasize, therefore, are not cancerous.

Cancer is classified by the area of the body in which it began and its appearance under a microscope. Different types of cancer vary in rates of growth, patterns of spread, and responses to different types of treatment.

Most Common Cancers

Additional Types of Cancer

Cancers caused by smoking and alcohol can be completely prevented. It is estimated that 173,000 cancer deaths will be assosicated with tobacco use in 1999. And 20,000 cancer deaths will be atributed to excessive alcohol use. Scientific evidence suggests that up to one-third of the 563,100 estimated cancer deaths in 1999 will be related to nutrition and can also be prevented. Many of the more than 1,000,000 expected skin cancers diagnosed in 1999 could have been prevented.

Regular screening examinations can result in the detection of breast, colon, rectum, cervix, prostate, testis, oral cavity, and skin cancers at earlier stages, making treatment more likely to be successful. Self-examinations of the breast and skin may also result in the detection of tumours at earlier stages. The five-year survival rate of these cancers is 81%. That statistic could jump to 95% if all people participated in regular screenings.

The foods you eat do affect cancer growth. Having a heathly diet can make a difference.

• Choose most foods you eat from plant sources. Five servings of fruit/vegetables a day. Breads, cereals, grains, rice, pasta, or beans several times a day.
• Limit high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources. Choose low-fat foods and limit consumption of meats, especially high-fat meats.
• Be physically active and maintain a healthy body weight. Be moderately active for at least 30 minutes daily on most days. Stay within your "healthy weight" range.
• Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, if you drink at all.

There are many treatment options availible, depending on the type of cancer one has. Please refer to this site to get the correct information about treatment options. It will open in a new window for you.