What Is Cancer

What is Cancer

The article entitled "What Is Cancer?" from the American Cancer Society's web site discussed how cancer forms and effects people in different ways depending on what type of cancer they have. It also mentioned how cancers are treated and ways to prevent cancer.

Cancer forms from the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. When we are born we all have normal cells that continually grow until adulthood. We also have abnormal cells that are in our body. As we reach adulthood our normal body cells stop dividing for growth purposes and only divide to replace dead or damaged cells. The abnormal cells in our body continue to divide even into adulthood and form cancerous cells. Most cancers develop into tumors while others flow throughout the body via the body's bloodstream. An example of this is leukemia.

Not all tumors that are created in the body by the abnormal cells become cancerous however. Some tumors called benign tumors are not cancerous and will not affect the body in as harmful ways as cancerous tumors would. Benign tumors are still dangerous however there size can be harmful to the body by growing in places that they are not needed and putting pressure on other parts of the body.

All types of cancer are different and respond to different types of treatment. Different cancers also have different rates of growth. These different rates of growth are what cause different cancers to be more harmful than others. Cancer is the second leading killer in the United States. Over half of men and one third of women will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Millions of people are now living with cancer because of new treatments that have become available through extensive research. People are now more aware of cancer than ever before and are taking precautions to reduce the risk of getting cancer.

1. Why didn't the other go more in depth into the different kinds of cancer and who is more likely to develop different cancers?

2. What are some of the treatment options that are most effective for the many types of cancers that are out there?

"What is Cancer" American Cancer Society. Mar. 2004

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