Cancers are non-communicable diseaseA disease that is not transferred between people or other organisms.. This means they cannot be caught. Instead they develop. Cancers occur when cell division goes wrong. This causes cells to grow out of control, which form a tumourThe lump of cells formed as a result of uncontrolled cell division.. There are two types of tumour:
malignant - these tumours are cancerous and can break apart, move around the body and start new cancers in a process called metastasis
benign - these tumours are less serious because they are not cancerous, and do not spread
Cancers are looked for by doctors in a process called screening. This can be in an x-ray, in blood or urine tests or by using monoclonal antibodyIdentical copies of an antibody produced by fusing a spleen cell with a cancerous white blood cell which can be designed to bind to many different substances..
Many cancers are caused by smoking or drinking too much. Others are caused by infections such as the HPV virus. Other causes include the Sun's UV rays and some environmental pollutants. The risk of cancer also increases as we get older.
The most frequent cancers in the UK are breast, lung and bowel cancers, and prostate cancer in men. A quick diagnosis is essential for treating all cancers. Treatment can be:
by chemotherapyThe use of chemicals to treat cancer. The chemicals used are highly toxic to cells that divide rapidly. - using chemicals to kill cancerous cells
by radiotherapyUsing ionising radiation to treat cancer by targeting cancerous cells. - using x-rays to kill cancerous cells
palliative careHealth care that focuses on relieving and preventing suffering, typically near the end of a patient's life when they are terminally ill. - this helps a person who has fatal cancer to die as comfortably as possible
Many cancers are less likely to develop if people lead healthy lifestyles. This means not smoking, exercising regularly and eating healthy foods.