What is Cancer?

There are lots of kinds of malignant tumors - Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Site and Multiple Myeloma and Pheochromocytoma and Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor - just to name a few examples. But, all of these malignancies have a few things in common.

Loss of Control

Each cell in the body is regulated by hormones like Atrial-natriuretic peptide and Prolactin from outside the cell and some other chemical regulators inside the cells. These regulators will control the actions of the cell. They will pass on to the cells when to grow and how much, how active they should be and how they will interact with other cells.

Cancer cells have those controls shut off. They act without limit. They are always active at the maximum level. These malignant cells also lose their control of interacting with their neighboring cells and then can move away and metastasize.

Changes in DNA

All malignant tumors have lost their controls because the DNA in the cell has been damaged. DNA is the programming mechanism inside the cell that determines all of its activities. That DNA is damaged by being broken, nuclear radiation or chemicals. The DNA will start to act out of control. Viruses have also been shown to cause the DNA damage that can lead to cancer.

Damaged DNA can also be passed to your children. That DNA can change a cell into a cancer if there is either some trigger that the cell contacts or another spot on the DNA that receives damage.

Immortal Cells

The cells normally will only live a certain amount of time and then die (with a few exceptions). They will then be replaced by new healthy cells. Malignant cells don't die. Even if they are extremely abnormal, they just keep growing. Finally, those cells produce tumors and spread.

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Cancer doesn't make you special. Dr. House

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Types of Cancer

All of those types of cancer can be grouped into five common types. Those are Central nervous system cancers, Leukemia, Carcinoma, Sarcoma as well as Lymphoma and Myeloma.

Central nervous system cancers - these are cancer tumors that start in the brain and spinal cord. Leukemia - these cancers start in the tissues that produce blood - such as the bone marrow - and then release the cells into the blood. Carcinoma - these are cancers that start in the skin or the tissues that line internal organs. Sarcoma - Sarcomas are cancer tumors that start in connective tissue. Connective tissue is the tissue between the organs and other structures. Those tissues include things like fat, bone, muscle, blood vessels and cartilage. Lymphoma and myeloma - these cancers start in the cells that normally protect the body - the immune system.

Now that you know what a cancer is, you can learn how to possibly prevent it, or if needed how to treat it.

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