Cancer - An Overview This factsheet is for people who have cancer, or would like information about it. Cancer is caused by cells in the body changing so that they grow in an uncontrolled way. It's estimated that one in three people will get cancer at some point in their lives. About cancer Cells reproduce by dividing in a controlled way and this is how your body grows and repairs itself. Cancer cells don't stop dividing but instead carry on to form a tumour. Scientists believe this happens when something goes wrong with the mechanism inside the cells that usually tells them to stop reproducing. Tumours can become detached and spread to other areas of the body. There are two main types of tumour: benign and malignant. Malignant tumour is another term for cancer. Benign tumours Malignant tumours Types of cancer Carcinoma There are four main types of epithelial cells: * squamous cells - flat cells lining the skin, mouth, oesophagus (food pipe) and the airways; So, for example, a cancer that starts in squamous epithelial cells is called a squamous cell carcinoma. Sarcoma The two main types are: * bone sarcomas; Leukaemia and lymphoma Others Cancers that develop from different cell types behave differently - for example, certain cell types are more likely to grow quickly and spread than others. Causes of cancer Others include: * smoking - a major cause of lung cancer, and a factor in bladder cancer and head and neck cancers among others; Cancer isn't infectious and can't be caught from other people. Diagnosis of cancer You will probably need to have a biopsy. This is a small sample of tissue which will be sent to a laboratory for testing to determine the type of cells and if these are benign or cancerous. Primary and secondary cancer Grading and staging Grades of cancer Healthy cells are specialised for the different jobs they do in your body. This is called differentiation. Cancer cells tend to be unspecialised or poorly differentiated. Cancer can be divided into the following grades. * Grade 1 - low grade, or well differentiated, where cells look similar to healthy ones. It grows more slowly and is less likely to spread to other parts of the body; Staging TNM (tumour, node, metastasis) staging system Dukes staging (A, B, C, or D) - commonly used to describe how advanced bowel cancer is Treatment of cancer * cure the cancer; There is a lot of uncertainty with cancer treatments, so doctors won't always be able to tell you exactly what will happen to you. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, don't worry about asking your doctor or nurse to explain things to you several times using language that you understand rather than medical terms. Write down questions or concerns you have before appointments and make notes of important points. You can also take someone along for support. After your appointment, your doctor will send a letter to your GP and you will often be able to have a copy of this if you would like one. For more information on treatments for specific cancers, please see the separate Bupa health factsheet on the type of cancer you would like to find out about. Help and support Cancer Q&As Related topics Further information Sources |