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What is cancer characterized by?

What is cancer characterized by?

Overview. Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Cancer often has the ability to spread throughout your body.

Why is cancer called a group of diseases?

A Group of Diseases Although cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases. These diseases are characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer can arise in many sites and behave differently depending on its organ of origin.

Is cancer a group of disease?

In simple terms, cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases that develop across time and involve the uncontrolled division of the body’s cells.

What classification of disease is cancer?

Doctors classify cancer using the site at which the cancer started or the type of tissue where the cancer originated. For example, a person can have breast cancer, which is usually a type of carcinoma, or cancer that arises from epithelial tissue.

Is cancer a molecular disease?

A better understanding of the cause(s) of the origin of cancer led to its definition as a genetic disease at the somatic level and heralded a new era for molecular diagnosis and the development of more mechanistic evidence-based, targeted cancer therapies.

Why is it important to understand cancer?

By knowing and understanding the basics about cancer and following the recommended guidelines for screening, men and women can help reduce the number of cases and increase survival rates by allowing treatment to begin earlier.

How many diseases are in cancer?

The term cancer encompasses more than 200 diseases all characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of cells. Ignoring the body’s signal to stop, malignant cells multiply to form tumors in organs and tissues or, in the case of blood cancers, crowd out normal cells in the blood stream and bone marrow.

What is the pathogenesis of cancer?

Some of them may be caused due to inflammation, infections, cysts or fluid filled lesions or due to benign growths. A cancerous tumor has the capacity to grow rapidly and to metastasize or spread to other tissues. Some tumors like leukemias grow as cell suspensions but most grow as solid masses of tissue.

How is cancer staging determined?

Staging describes or classifies a cancer based on how much cancer is in the body and where it is when first diagnosed. This is often called the extent of cancer. The stage often includes the size of the tumour, which parts of the organ have cancer, whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) and where it has spread.

What is the simple definition of cancer?

(KAN-ser) A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. There are several main types of cancer.

Which is the best definition of the word cancer?

There are many texts and references that attempt to define cancer. The simplest definition is from the American Cancer Society (ACS). According to the ACS, cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.

How many different types of cancer are there?

A Group of Diseases. Although cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases. These diseases are characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.

How does a person get cancer and what causes it?

Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. Cancer begins when a single cell mutates, resulting in a breakdown of the normal regulatory controls that keep cell division in check. These mutations can be inherited, caused by errors in DNA replication, or result from exposure to harmful chemicals.

Which is a disease characterized by the spread of abnormal cells?

According to the ACS, cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the spread is not controlled, it can result in death. Cells are the structural units of all living things. Each of us has trillions of cells, as does a growing tree.