Cancer also called is Malignancy and Neoplasms. Cancer is a serious, but curable illness. Cancer is not one disease, but many diseases that occur in different areas of the body. Cancer is a disease characterized by disorderly division of cells, combined with the malignant behavior of these cells. Cancer is usually classified according to the tissue of origin more than the location of manifestations. Prognosis in most cases depends on the original staging of the disease. There are many theories about the cause of cancer. Cell division or cell proliferation is a physiological process that occurs in almost all tissues and under many circumstances. Normally the balance between proliferation and apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is tightly regulated to ensure the integrity of organs and tissues. Imbalances in the rates of cell division and cell death can lead to tumor growth in a tissue. Other events are usually required before metastasis can occur. Locally expansile tumors can also cause severe problems when they grow in certain locations, such as the head or airway. Environmental stimuli, or carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or infectious agents, can cause cancer. Cancer can also occur in young children and adolescents, but it is rare. Some studies have concluded that pediatric cancers, especially leukemia, are on an upward trend.
Cancer is caused by exposure to carcinogens (cancer causing substances), which alter and damage DNA. Cancers are classified by the type of cell that resembles the tumor and, therefore, the tissue presumed to be the origin of the tumor. Carcinoma often develops as a result of a very improper lifestyle. Carcinoma: malignant tumors derived from epithelial cells. This group represents the most common cancers, including the common forms of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer. Lymphoma and Leukemia: malignant tumors derived from blood and bone marrow cells Sarcoma: malignant tumors derived from connective tissue, or esenchymal cells. Mesothelioma: tumors derived from the mesothelial cells lining the peritoneum and the pleura. Glioma: tumors derived from glia, the most common type of brain cell. Germ cell tumor: tumors derived from reproductive cells, most commonly found in the testicle and ovary. Female and male infants have essentially the same overall cancer incidence rates, but white infants have substantially higher cancer rates than black infants for most cancer types. Relative survival for infants is very good for neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor and retinoblastoma, and fairly good (80%) for leukemia, but not for most other types of cancer.
Tags: bone marrow cells, cancer cell division, cancer lymphoma, cell proliferation, damage dna, epithelial cells, malignant tumors, pediatric cancers, preventive measures, programmed cell death