Definition of cancer

Cancer is a term used for the treatment of diseases which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues . Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named the device or the type of cells in the beginning - for example , cancer that starts in the colon is called colon cancer ; cancer that begins in the melanocytes in the skin called skin cancer.Types of cancer can be grouped into broader categories . The main categories of cancer include:Cancer - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. There are a number of sub-types of cancer, including adenocarcinoma , basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma , and transitional cell carcinoma.Sarcoma - a cancer that begins in bone , cartilage, fat , muscle , blood vessels , or other connective or supportive tissue .Leukemia - cancer that begins in hematopoietic tissues such as bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.Central nervous system cancer - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.Cancer assetsAll types of cancer begins in the cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand cancer , it is helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancer cells.The bench consists of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are necessary to maintain a healthy body. When cells become old or damaged , they die and are replaced by new cells.However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong . The genetic material (DNA) of the cell can become damaged or changed , producing mutations that affect the growth and division of cells . When this happens , the cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need. Additional cells may constitute a mass of tissue called a tumor.Image titled losing control of natural growth . Image shows normal cell division and normal cell suicide , or apoptosis of the damaged cell . It also shows the division of cancer cells , through several stages of the boom , and ends in uncontrolled growth .Not all tumors are cancerous, tumors can be benign or malignant.Benign tumors are not cancerous. They often can be removed, and, in most cases , they do not come back. Cells in benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.Malignant tumors are cancerous. Cells in these tumors can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. Is called the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another metastases.Some types of cancer do not form tumors . For example , leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood.Cancer StatisticsReport of the leading cancer organizations in the country shows that the rates of death in the United States than all types of cancer in men and women continued to decline in the period between 2005 and 2009, the period covered by the report the most recent data available .Estimated new cases and deaths from cancer in the United States in 2013 :Additional InformationIs listed types of cancer that are diagnosed with the greatest frequency in the United States below.Bladder CancerBreast cancerColorectal CancerEndometrial cancerKidney ( renal cell ) cancerLeukemiaLung CancerSkin CancerNon-Hodgkin lymphomaPancreatic CancerProstate CancerThyroid CancerMore topics Cancer:Cancer PreventionCancer GeneticsCauses cancer and risk factorsScreening test to detect cancerCancer TreatmentDealing with CancerCancer StatisticsClinical trialsCancer publicationsThe risk of many types of cancer can be reduced by the practice of health habits and lifestyle , such as eating a healthy diet , getting regular exercise , and not smoking. Also, whenever cancer is found and treatment begins , the better the chances are that the treatment will be successful.