Battling Cancer

By Mark Meyers

As you’re likely aware, cancer is a deadly disease which claims millions of lives each year and which, unfortunately, even with hundreds of organizations from places all over the world racing to find a cure, doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. As you might suspect there are hundreds of websites offering information and advice about cancer, but rarely will you find the grounding information in an understandable and non-medical format. From learning about what cancer is to how you could get it, cancer is certainly a common topic. This article is an introduction to cancer in non-medical terms which will help you learn the basics about this horrific disease.

What is Cancer?

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Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis. This unregulated growth is caused by damage to DNA, resulting in mutations to genes that control cell division. Several mutations may be required to transform a normal cell into a malignant cell. These mutations are often caused by chemicals or physical agents called carcinogens. Some mutations occur spontaneously, or they can be inherited as germ line mutations.

Cancer can cause many different symptoms, depending on the site and character of the malignancy and whether there is metastasis. Cancer may be painless. A definitive diagnosis usually requires the histologic examination of tissue by a pathologist. This tissue is obtained by biopsy or surgery. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy.

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