Information About Cancer
Cancer is a disease of disorganized growth in a highly organized system. The disease starts when the genes that control the normal growth of cells have been injured or have mutated spontaneously. When such a cell divides it has the potential to mutate again, to change into a slightly different cell with a different biology and potential. The resulting new clone of cells may then develop the ability to manufacture substances - proteins or hormones - that the original cells did not produce. As a consequence, a population of cells is produced which is different from the surrounding tissue. It is from this mutated beginning that the cells grow and accumulate to form a tumor. And, it is the capacity to constantly change their original nature that gives these cells such lethal potential.

The phenomenon of abnormal growth can start anywhere in the body. It more commonly occurs in the lungs of people who smoke. Likewise, it occurs in the colon, or in the breast, giving rise to tumors in these organs. As the number of abnormal cells increases, they form a mass or lump which the patient can feel. The mass or lump can get so big that it begins to affect the normal function of the organ it occupies, and it is this malfunction that makes the patient aware that something is wrong.

Initially the tumor remains localized. In this case the tumor is called benign. But the cells may develop the capacity to spread to other parts of the body, to become malignant or cancerous. It is this developed potential to spread to other parts of the body (to metastasize) that gives these cells their potential to kill.