An Overview Of Cancer

Cancer is a disease that affects cells of the body. Cells are extremely small units that build together and form all living things, which include human beings. In any given person's body, you will find billions of cells. Cancer occurs when unusual and abnormal cells grow and spread very quickly. Normal cells in the body divide, grow to a certain size and then stop. Over the course of time, cells will even die. Cancer cells do not follow this normal pattern of division and growth, however. They divide very quickly and just continue to grow. Normally, cancer cells do not die and they clump together in groups to form what are called tumors. The cancer cells in a tumor can damage and destroy surrounding healthy body tissues. When these healthy tissues are damaged and destroyed, the person with the tumor can become very sick. Cancer is capable to spreading to other parts of the body, as well. It is not unusual for part of a tumor to break off and travel to a distant area. Once that piece of the tumor comes to a stop in another area of the body, it will continue to grow and can create a new tumor. When cancer spreads like this, it is called metastasis. When in the body, cancer can cause a person to feel very sick. Since early detection is a big factor in treatment, it is good to be aware of the signs of this disease. Some signs of cancer include: